Dead Drop
by Revolver OtaconAj
Summary: They got away with it. They were too late to rescue Eri Kisaki from the animals who kidnapped her. But Eri isn't one to let something like this break her. She would fight and get justice for herself come hell or high water. CO-WRITTEN BY DETECTIVEMRAN.
1. I: The Movie Date

Kogoro was rhythmically tapping his feet across the floor impatiently, looking visibly perturbed at the fact that Eri Kisaki was late. Patience wasn't a virtue in his book, and it was obvious he read any of it to begin with.

It had been the plan to go to a movie together. The only problem was that Ran had invited her mother along. It took all that was in him to stifle a groan so that Ran wouldn't get upset.

Again? How many times did she have to haplessly put herself through this! It had to be a cliche at this point. Shinichi could practically put it into bullet points.

Ran tricks her parents into going somewhere together.

They argue extensively.

A crime happens cause apparently the Kami can't let them go anywhere without a corpse falling out of the sky.

They don't get back together.

Even he, with this impossible situation he was in, could see this was the pure unabridged definition of insanity!

Still he'd support her. It was basically all he could do at this point even if ended with an obdurate Ran crying or disappointed. But recently he was beginning to tire of it deeply. Every time her smile went away it was like a deep infected gash from a bullwhip and despite his obvious criticisms he knew he would have been a hypocrite to say anything else likewise.

This plan however was the most flawed yet. While he had to give her kudos to the fact that she actually managed to let her parents in on this "family date" (it made Shinichi vastly uncomfortable and unnerved that Conan Edogawa was starting to be considered part of the dysfunctional Mouri household _that_ much) the flaws were readily apparent the moment someone immediately thought about it.

First off, the movie they were all going to see was a _Yoko Okino_ film. How Ran couldn't grasp how that wouldn't immediately ruin any potential ambience given her father's unhealthy obsession with the young idol. Old women like Rans mom hate being threatened by those younger though Shinichi had learned a _long_ time ago not to say it out loud.

Shinichi grimaced, habitually rubbing his giant head. The memory of a thousand scoldings that his mother directed at his forehead cause some unconscious muscle memory.

Bunkering down, prepared to suffer through both Kogoros and Eri's complaints that appeared as endless as the free popcorn they were probably going to chuck at each other, Shinichi waited for everything to crash and burn.

And waited.

And waited…

For ten minutes.

Then fifteen minutes.

Twenty…

Kogoro Mouri's face was trying and failing to withhold a grudge, his steely gaze and sour frown looking rather morose. Earlier at least he was convinced to behave himself and appear contrite while Ran was slapping his fingers away when he picked his nose.

It was just one of the things Conan didn't even have an inkling of why Ran hadn't snapped by now. It made him appreciate just how much of her temper she bottled up inside. Maybe taking care of a baby with a mustache prepared her for being being responsible and mature for her age.

With both the simultaneously terrifying and hilarious image of the Sleeping Sleuth in diapers notwithstanding, Conan was definitely not looking forward to his shouting and complaining later.

Ran meanwhile had gone from a busy bee with an excited giddy smile to pacing across the room with a worried, visibly stressed gaze in her eyes, the small pretty mouth of his best friend agape with obvious unease.

Kogoro looked at his wristwatch with a stony stare that could crush steel, releasing a tetchy groan as he indistinctly mumbled to himself. Shinichi could only catch two words of the entirety of that intelligible series of vowels, syllables, and consonants, specifically 'damn' and 'woman!' in that order. While Shinichi wasn't entirely unsympathetic to that train of thought given how moody and illogical Ran could be…

...The fact that Kogoro was slurring his words almost always made Eri the better head in any situation.

No wonder Shinichi often agreed with Eri Kisaki, if your options were someone who was a mature, astute, mostly put together professional or a slovenly manchild whose ass was often out due to being a drunkard and had an unhealthy obsession with a Pop Idol nearly twelve years younger

The atmosphere threatened to crush everyone in the Mouth Household as the invisible chime of one of those old grandfather clocks was ever present in Shinichi's mind, with the chilled air surrounding him smothering him like a pillow or blanket pressed to his face.

Eugh! It was already awkward enough being around them when they were _together_ and Shinichi honestly couldn't imagine it being any worse if they finally got a divorce. Even when they weren't separated over irreconcilable differences they seem to fight so viciously even if one was significantly less subtle or even more clever than the other.

It was like watching a stray dog fighting a pampered house cat. It was useless to see who would win because both would stubbornly rather die than even think of admitting defeat and acknowledge the pointless futility of their struggle. It was just a difference in their temperaments.

Shinichi would have found it all so amusing if Ran wasn't always at the epicenter of their blood feud. There were times when they were just little kids when she would come running to his house crying like a baby. Shinichi has always had a demeanor of complete indifference in order to keep Ran calmly relieved but it was such a taxing chore.

Mature as he was for his age, there were many things he couldn't understand until much later. He was just a kid after all. It didn't make sense to him why at times Ran's parents would force them to stay at their home, the both of the pair ironically united against what he thought was their undue suspicion of him.

Even during those times, it always just seemed so illogical and pointless. But it was how it affected-no- infected their daughter that drew the crux of his anger. The things they both said to them as a kid made any criticisms at his so called "absentee" parents null and void. Ran was like some kind of shell-shocked war veteran who was used to the madness that echoed and exploded in the verbal minefields surrounding what should have been a haven.

But as much as he disliked Ran's parents (Eri Kisaki in a bikini did make puberty a lot easier, a blushing Shinichi thought, with that being near the top of the list of things he wasn't ready for Ran to find out.) He knew better than to jape or make fun of her unusual amount of forgiveness towards them. It wasn't worth it, simply put. Miraculously, she turned out alright and a much better type of human being then most.

Shinichi knew that Ran's efforts would be utterly fruitless but unlike his usual tendency for bluntness, he could no longer stand the chance of upsetting the woman he loved like that. It was bad enough that he couldn't be a man and confess the truth.

Kogoro's unnerving rapping against the desk suddenly stopped. Conan took a closer look at the interior of the Mouth Household. Even by Dan's own impeccable standards everything was pristine and completely spotless. Poor Ran must have broke her back trying to make the house look better for her mother…

Meanwhile the man who stood austere and irritated and often had to be a victim of a role reversal between parent and child made a dark shadow against a abendrot sundown that contrasted with the gouged out fading paint that said MOURI DETECTIVE AGENCY. Kogoro's patience was wearing thin like the chipped paint directly behind his chair, his frustration simmering underneath his skin until...

"Waah, that damned woman!" Kogoro rolled his eyes as he rose up, grumbling to himself, walking briskly with his arms limply swinging from side to side as he stomped towards the kitchen to get a can of beer from his refrigerator.

"Bad enough I had to pay for a different time because she had to cancel at the last minute but now she has the audacity to be late. Bah!" Mumbling to himself because let's face it barely anyone else took in what that drunkard said and treated it as serious intellectual conversation, Kogoro opened the fridge, pulled out a can of beer before shaking it a little because Kogoro Mouri couldn't do anything without acting like a stupid kid.

Panicking, as she often did when things were not going to plan like she thought they would in her head, Ran immediately got in front of her dad to block the way

"Otou-san!" Ran couldn't help but sputter out in protest, the karateka's steely gaze causing her father to jump back in surprise, nearly tripping when one foot was still in the air before he steadied himself by cocking an elbow back.

"W-w-what d-dear?" Kogoro skittishly replied.

Ran could only sigh, a note of distress inflicting the tone of her voice with an air of heartbreak that made Shinichi wince. It always did.

"What's wrong… Mom is going to be here soon! She's never going to take you back if you get drunk all the time." Conan could only glare at Ran's father, and he happily would have done the same to Eri is she was here fear notwithstanding. Why couldn't they at least try to get along, or at least make an effort to pretend to get along. The things they said to each other and at times to Ran herself made his skin crawl.

Paying close attention to the dead man walking, Shinichi noticed Kogoro's eyes drifted from side to side as if suddenly uncomfortable of his surroundings. His slack stance straightened immediately, as he rested his palm against the back of his neck.

Coughing into his fist, he gently patted his daughter's shoulders, a stricken look in his eyes. "Ran… Sweetie, the thing about me and your mother is…"

Shinichi eyes lit up with fear for he could feel the palpable waves of unease coming from Ran's figure. No he couldnt be that brazenly stupid! As much as he thought that Ran's denial was a danger to her overall wellbeing… Shinichi ground his teeth enraged as shrunken teen watched the guileless eyes of the woman he loved tear up.

"... You know I love her very much right?"

Baffled, both Ran and Shinichi could only gape in disbelief. Kogoro was never this open about his feelings toward his wife. He usually had been in the perfect range where he wasn't too drunk or too sober.

"It's just… Ugh she just pisses me off so much all the time! With that know it all attitude and how she acts like she's above it all!" Kogoro pulled his hair making a deep grunting noise while bending his head backwards to face the ceiling. Ran looked kind of angry but Kogoro just waved his left hand at his daughter and faced the window. Then again… I guess that was what made me want to marry her in the first place.

This admittedly sweet declaration and probably one of the few times Kogoro Mouri showed a moment of mature lucidity was quietly interrupted just then by the chiming on Ran's outdated flip phone.

Gasping with her eyes lit up like saucers she happily opened the phone typing out the four digit password. But as she read the text, Ran expression changed.

Crestfallen, Ran briefly explained what happened. "Okaa-san said she can't come tonight. She has a stomach flu…"

Alarm bells immediately went off in Shinichi's head. Didn't he and Ran just have lunch with Eri yesterday? Surely her symptoms would have became apparent by the morning after. Plus it was a very clean restaurant and all she ate was a spinach gomae and cup of miso soup. The salad hadn't appeared wilted or unclean and Shinichi and Ran did had the same Miso Soup…

Brushing it off because he didn't have any evidence to the contrary, Shinichi followed Ran to her room hoping to comfort. He stole one last glance at Kogoro Mouri who actually seemed equally disappointed… Until he unhooked the tab and began chugging his beer, after which he paid the slob no mind.

He had done this routine so many times that he barely registered walking into Ran's room. Climbing up next to the one he loved more than anything else in this world he rested his head on her side as she sat in complete silence.

Shinichi patiently waited for her reaction preparing to cheer her up whether she burst into tears or rage. It sucked that he couldn't do this in his true form and the idea that Ran preferred Conan over the real him was forever gnawing on his mind. Yet he would proudly continue to play the part, because Ran had been the source of strength long before he shrunk and he would never allow that to break.

Her bed had been tucked into hospital corners, reminded the young detective of how he did the same to his heart before he had the nerve to confess and open up in London due to the threat of losing her forever. He might not have been able to go if that nightmare occured…

After a bout of silence, Ran picked up a picture frame of herself and her parents, brushing against the glass that held the memory inside with delicate fingertips before setting it back down, turning it sideways so it didn't face the two of them. Shinichi, having learnt that rubbing Ran's back did wonders when making the teen feel better, did so.

Nudging closer, Ran gently pushed his tiny hand away. Far from rejecting the comfort, she held it against her llap, patting his palm and stubby fingers.

Blushing because her hand was the only thing blocking Shinichi's closeness to several parts of her body he wasn't ready to touch. Plus he had already been too much of a perv to not stare at her when bathing… No focus! Shinichi scrunched his tiny face in a vain attempt to get those thoughts of his much too imaginative head. She was upset damnit!

Breathing in with a shuddering sigh, Ran finally broke the quiet in the air.

"Conan-kun…" Ran whispered.

Turning his head up to see her just staring into space killed a tiny bit of him inside. "Yes Ran Nee-Chan?"

Smiling despite her tears, Ran continued onwards. "Do your parents fight?"

Completely blindsided by that question, Shinichi thought about answering truthfully… But that might not have helped things much and he was afraid that if he made Conan's backstory too similar to his own she would start to get suspicious again.

So instead he answered, "Huh? What do y'mean?'

"I-I mean… You were suddenly so scared to see your mother but came back happy. And you don't talk about your dad at all. I'm sorry! I just figured.."

Wondering if a lie wouldn't hurt if it is done for a good reason, Shinichi spun a story about how his mother and father had been divorced since before he was born, how he barely saw his father, and that the reason he had come here in the first place was because they were in the middle of a custody battle.

It was amazing how easily the false narrative came out of his lips. It wasn't even that hard to accentuate his false innocence and naivety. While ran was asking questions he inwardly cursed himself for everything having to come to this point, where he had no choice but to blend in as someone he really wasn't.

It did succeed in making Ran feel better though. And he was thankful for that. She kissed him on the cheek and bid him goodnight.

Dreading having to give his mother a role she wasn't suited for and the fact he had to keep more and more lies in his head as he became more like his alter ego as time continued with Shinichi Kudo disappeared into the background, he was much too drained to ask why Eri Kisaki canceled through a social media app instead of her own phone.

* * *

**Another project I've been working on and off.**

**The Disappearance of Eri Kisaki Arc begins now.**

**OST for entire Arc.**

**Breaking Bad- Crawl Space**  
**Memotone- Ritual**  
**Silent Hill 3- End Of A Small Sanctuary**  
**Deadly Premonition- Life Is Beautiful**  
**Persona 3- Memories of the School**  
**Detective Conan- Main/Ran's Theme/Bouncing Ran/ Threat (Part 2)/Tension/Bomb Warning**

**BACKGROUND:**

**As you can tell, this fic diverts at the beginning of the Lawyer SOS case. I had tons of problems with that episode, mainly how such a serious subject like sexual assault particularly in East Asia was made light or how it was just used a way to force character development, how the very concept of RAPE in a show like Detective Conan defeats the whole premise of the shows Black and White Morality and how the characters barely acted like it even happened.**

**That episode and my knowledge of how fucked up East Asia's justice system actually inspired GI. And that got me thinking about how "rape fics" (A fic where the premise revolves around a character being sexually assaulted and how the rest of the cast deals with the emotional turmoil) are shockingly such a common genre in Fanfiction and with just a handful of exceptions to the rule, most are either not really good at best or offensive at worse due to the lack of realism and inclusion of borderline of offensive stereotypes. So I decided to tackle it on my own. This, GI, and another unnamed fic forms works that combined as a trilogy and how people of different ages face these kinds of things. After that, I NEVER WANT TO DO ANOTHER RAPE FIC EVER AGAIN.**

**Also... I'MMMMMMMMMMMM BAAAAAAAAAAACK!**


	2. School Day's

****Two days later****

"Jeez I hope your mom is alright." Sonoko shrugged with a note of genuine concern in her voice, pulling out a chair to sit next to her best friend at the lunch table.

Ran concurred relishing the fact that somebody was taking her concerns seriously. Something in her intuition was making her think that something had gone horribly wrong and she couldn't help but wonder why.

"How sick is she?" Sera wondered aloud, ever so curious in a way that reminded Ran too much of Shinichi, making Ran stare at his empty spot longingly. As much as she liked having Sera with them, she sometimes made her best friend's absence all the more readily apparant. The next semester was upon them and her classmates were anxiously asking where he was. Some old friends had already gone off to college. If he didn't get his butt here soon, he would get expelled.

Chosing to focus on other less complicated problems, Sera inadvertently saved the day again no matter how potentially invasive her questions we're. Reddening, Ran responded instantaneously with all she knew. "She said she had to cancel all her appointments and is unable to leave the bathroom."

Cackling like a hyena, Sonoko thought it was a hoot. "Huh! Eri Kisaki of the iron stomach got sick?" Sonoko humorously exaggerated her shock, with both hands pressing down on her stomach as she made pretend vomiting noises in a mordant manner.

Confused, Sera turned her head to the side. "The iron stomach?" Exasperated, Ran attempted to explain the best she could, though Sonoko did it with more theatrics.

Come to think of it, maybe that was a good reason not to let her explain that way…

"It's a in-joke between me and Sonoko, Sera-chan, her cooking isn't exactly that great…" Trailing off, Ran got quiet, waiting again for Sonoko to exaggerate with excessive hyperbole.

"Are you kidding? It's like one of the worst things I've ever eaten!" Sonoko bluntly shouted.

"Sonoko! That's not nice to say! Ran sighed, having to admit to herself that it was true. "She tries her best but she refuses to learn even if I offer to teach her because she insists that it is good."

Lifting up her chin in realization, Sera eyes went off to the side. "Oh so I guess you only inherited her looks."

Ran's cheeks went bright scarlet while a vein popped in Sonoko's head. "Sera, what did I say about pretending to be gay!"

Chuckling like a lunatic, Sera slapped the table with her right hand, before lowering her voice all seductively. "How do you guys know it's pretend?

Everyone but Ran could feel the many gazes of hormonal men gazing at the table lustfully. Different reactions were met by the two. Sera waved happily while Sonoko held up a fist and a death glare.

Not knowing what was going on, Ran turned around too. Almost as if they were scared, alll the men suddenly went back to eating lunch like clockwork.

"Anyway Ran-kun, I hope I do get to meet your mother soon. She seems like such a cool woman." Ran couldn't help but beam. A small smirk spreading across her lips, she was reminded of how much she practically held the lawyer in heroic regard. It's been that way since she was little and would probably never stop.

Despite what everyone who knew Ran's mother said, she sincerely wished she had even a tiny amount of her mother's tact and strength. Elegance was Eri Kisaki's forte so it made sense that she wanted to be alone when she was indisposed. It was hard to think of her as Ran's inspiration when she held that picture in her head… Ugh.

But it wasn't like she was expecting to be attached to the hip. Mom was her own woman and she was proud of that fact. That didn't mean Ran was expecting was that she wouldn't maintain utter radio silence yesterday.

Despite not seeing her mother as much as she did her father due to Eri Kisaki being more busy and having more responsibilities, Ran was happy to say she had a close relationship with her mom. She made sure to text everyday when she could, and when they did see each other (usually just the two of them since Conan was busy and her dad was… well her dad) they often talked at great length at just about everything, whether it was just wise sage advice from a mature woman to a blossoming girl or just talking about stuff like their favorite movies or songs.

After the failure of Plan #53 (Ran couldn't help but call them operations in her head, making her curse how much of Shinichi's otaku tendencies were beginning to infect her brain) Ran had been upset like always. Not because of the fact that she had done this fifty three times without success and both of her parents had gotten in their own way but because they were so close this time!

Dad, usually a complete dummy, actually opened up about his feelings, confirming what she knew but that baka Shinichi would say he found impossible. They did love each other but were too stubborn to just make up and get back together already. The only consolation was that this time it wasn't either of their faults.  
Upset at first, Ran had cheered up immediately, with that bottomless optimism that she was unaware that everyone loved about her springing her spirits once again. This was just a lesson for next time after all!

Besides she had other problems at the moment. As it turned out poor Conan-kun was in the same boat she was. Maybe this time she had let her disappointment too apparent to see on her face but the usually guarded Conan Edogawa had revealed something about his life that made her sad.

Ran always worried over how much he refused to talk about his life before he came to Japan. No matter how much she tried to get him to open up, Conan would often deflect the question.

The only thing she did know was that he was of American descent, had spent some time in Hawaii. Even when she tried to get him to talk about his life in America Conan couldn't help but be tight lipped until that day.

But he had it worse. His parents had already fallen out of love with each other and they put him in the middle of it.

Thinking that Conan didn't really knew what it was like to have a family sadly made a lot of sense with his odd behavior, particularly why he always seemed so mature for his age, why he never cried that much like an average little kid and why he had been so brave in the face of adversity.

That train of thought made her decide to plan more trips with the four of them. Conan must have missed out on a lot and she knew for a fact that both her mother-and yes even her dad no matter how strenuously he denied it- cared about him.

Yet when she tried to call her home phone yesterday it just went to voicemail and she wouldn't pick up her cell…

Unnerved again as her thoughts once again focused on her sick mother, she couldn't help but haphazardly dig her chopsticks into her meal, twisting around the noodles that sudden felt unpalatable.

Observant, no matter how many times people said she was selfish, Sonoko could tell that Ran's unjustified fears was eating away at her appetite.

Putting an arm around her shoulder, Ran jumped in surprise. Wide eyed, Sonoko asked what was wrong.

"It's nothing…" Hesitating Ran sincerely hoped the two of them wouldn't notice her deliberately obfuscating. She didn't want them to worry after all.

That might have worked on her dad but both Sonoko and Sera could sense something awry. The intensity of their worried stares was chipping away at her armor. Waving it away, Ran hoped she wouldn't have to tell them.

"Seriously guys it's nothing I'm just tired!" The genuine yawn she covered up sort of helped her unconvincing performance but…

Defeated, she revealed the truth.

"I… I think I have a stalker." Both Sonoko and Sera gasped, with Ran getting a delightful image of noodles going into Sera's nose.

After their obvious surprise, Ran thought it was a godsend that they allowed her to get a word in edgewise. With the both of them silent she sheepishly explained what was going on.

Reluctantly enveloping them in the tale, Ran patiently explained what has been happening.

It all started with the letters that were being slipped into her locker. All the envelopes containing them were pink, with its contents contains either a unique haiku or waka poem that concerned the sender's announcing his love for Ran.

Sonoko actually knew about this part having teased her best friend without end about her new admirer seemingly under the impression that Ran's embarrassed bashful face was something that Shinichi would like to see.

Consistently ignorant of how naive she really was (or as Sonoko so unsubtly put it that Ran had a "sexy bod" she should be proud of) at how attractive she was to the opposite sex, Ran of course didn't really know to do.

If it had been simply a pervert, Ran would have gone to one of her teachers before proceeding to track him down and kick his creepy butt. This time however it appeared that it was just someone who happened to have an innocent crush on her. Sonoko had immediately suggested telling Shinichi to get jealous enough to come home.

After that completely horrible idea was put inside her head, Ran had been incredibly hesitant to tell anyone. Ran didn't know the person that had a crush on her and even if she did, she loved Shinichi not him. Despite this, whoever sent her the love notes seemed nice enough. So through the Club Orihime he sent a gentle rejection letter, the response saying that she'd be happy to be friends.

It didn't stop. It never stopped.

Ran had gone to the principal and while him and the rest of the staff were sympathetic to her plight, they said there was little they could do unless she knew who was sending the harassing letters. Uncomfortable from the whole situation and uneased of the idea of telling anyone else, particularly her dad.

"Ran you baka! Why didn't you tell us what was going on?" Ran's cobalt eyes shifted away from Sonoko, nervous at the guilt of looking her best friend in the eye. Sonoko's face softened and she inwardly cursed herself at how she had such a trouble time thinking before speaking.

Sera coughed into her hand, solemn. "This isn't Ran-Kun's fault. It's her stalker's for not knowing when to take a hint." Ran winced at the word stalker, making her reddened with embarrassment. "I know you might be uncomfortable with this but please go on."

Ran nodded, looking down at her knees. Shinichi may not have been here but Sera-Chan was also a detective and a good one at that, even if she wasn't as good. "There were only two other incidents… A couple times I felt someone following me… At first I just thought I was just nervous after my parents last fight but when I was walking to the butcher's with Conan-kun he noticed too."

"Did you see the creeps face?" Responding to Sonoko in the negative, Sera continued prodding asking what the other thing was.

They all gasped when the karetaka told him he had gotten her phone number.

"Right after my mom cancelled on us, I started getting these messages." Pulling out her phone and giving it to the two of them to examine, as Ran looked away deep in thought.

The texts began in the morning and only appeared to occur before and after school. This seemed to confirm the hypothesis that the texter and stalker were one and the same.

But there was another thing that unnerved Ran immensely. There were no words or even emojis in the messages. It was a series of images she couldn't play due to her phone being outdated and in that regard Ran was thankful. She couldn't imagine what the images were and frankly the attempt made her skin crawl if she tried.

Sera however, could see something was amiss. With her eyes narrowing in anger, only flickering when she gazed at Ran sympathetically. If Sera's attempt was to comfort, Ran couldn't help but feel the opposite reaction.

"Ran-kun…" Sera said with a serious look on her face. "Do you know what spoofing is?"

Sonoko was just as confused. "Spoof?" The occasional detective queried in broken english.

With a sigh, Sera gave Ran back her phone. "My first thought was to go to the police with this. If you made a complaint I'm sure given how infamous your father is, they simply would have suponead the phone company for its records so they'd know who had but…"

Incensed, Sonoko stood up and brought her fist down onto the table with a loud THRUM. "But what? Are you saying that they wouldn't be able to find that asshole!" Boisterously yelling her outrage, Sonoko shrank from the realization that everything had gotten silent all of a sudden, sheepishly sitting back down in embarrassment.

The tomboy chose a more quiet approach, leaning so that any one listening in would be unable to overhear the three of them.

"They won't be able to trace him because he cloned Ran's number." Seeing the look of confusion ingrained upon her friends faces, Sera enlightened them on what the act of spoofing was.

"What probably happened is that somehow he got Ran's number and made a copy of it so that it turns up as an exact copy of hers. And while everyone knows that Ran would never do it, the stalker could reasonably say that Ran sent it to herself.

"What a creep! This is exactly why I hate Otaku. No offense to you Sera-chan." Sonoko said as an afterthought, refusing to meet the female detectives gaze. For her part, Sera chuckled and patted the heiress's shoulder, earning a respite.

Unfortunately Ran couldn't share their relief. Her head was spinning due to the many unanswered questions that threatened to make her brain explode. How did all of this happen? It was bad enough that Shinichi was gone all the time and that both of her parents were too idiotically proud to get back together but now some weirdo was after her?

It made Ran feel dirty inside and she wanted to hurl. Once again she looked at her knees, embarrassed.

Suddenly Ran heard an obnoxious slurping noise as Sera practically headbutted the distressed young teenager.

"Cheer up Ran-kun!" A hideous sight awaited Ran's blue orbs. Sera was on all fours and had soba noodles coming out of her nose while simultaneously mined having tusks by using chopsticks.

"Sera! Gross!" The queen of fashion and style covered her mouth and started to gag. Meanwhile Sera just sheepishly slid back into her seat, all her enthusiasm and excitement instantly dampered.

Looking ashamed, Sera turned her gaze away, for once ashamed at her unladylike behavior. "Yeah… It didn't really work for my brother either.

Waving her hands and closing her eyes in order to get the image out of her head, Ran's politeness got the best of her better judgement. "Oh no it's fine Sera! I appreciate the sentiment..." Ran felt guilty for lying like that so she reluctantly chased it away with the truth. "Its just not what I need right now… I don't know what to do now.

Sonoko glared and facepalmed. "Baka! What do you think we're going to do? We're going to help you get that creep!"

Taken completely by surprise, Ran couldn't help but do a double take as Sonoko's ear was pulled by a surprisingly calm and collected Sera.

"What Sonoko meant to say is that since we're both detectives and you're a good friend we are going to help you find this asshole and get him to stop." Letting go of the heiress's ear, Sonoko rubbed the pain away with the bottom of her palm, mumbling something about "manhands" and "crazy lesbian."

"You'd really do that?"

At first staring at her like it was a stupid question, Sonoko brightly smiled and flicked Ran's nose. "Jeez Ran I swear you can be too nice for your own good. Of course we'll help you! You shouldn't keep things like this all to yourself. Besides…" Sonoko stood up full of pomp and swagger. Unlike your boyfriend and the rest of the geeks I, the Queen of Deduction, will catch the bastard with style!"

Laughing heartily and failing to stifle even a giggle, Ran couldn't help but be reminded of her goofy dad. This whole situation seemed so trifling and silly. Suddenly aware of this and that Sera was waving right next to her, Sonoko blushed. "No offense to you Sera-chan."

Casting that signature toothy, crooked smirk all Sera could respond with was two words.

"None taken."


	3. Discovery

****1:00 in the afternoon, outside the office Of Eri Kisaki: Attorney At Law****

Picking at his teeth while using the cab window as a mirror, Kogoro had no choice but to admit that his wife was great at getting what she wanted. Whether it be a kiss from a shy fifteen year old Kogoro, a loan for what would become the Mouri Detective Agency, or even a motion to dismiss, Eri could easily get it in many ways.

Whether it would be the simple polite courtesy that she could pull off from a simple strut, the cool analytical way she could demolish the prosecution's case or how she could kick your ass both mentally and physically, all while never even moving a single inch out of her natural elegance, Eri was unmatched in this regard no matter how much he yelled or how many scum threatened, even proposition her on occasion.

It had been that way since they were kids. Eri would act high and mighty to point out Kogoro's numerous failings and it had bordered on arrogance. It had been the tinderbox for many a fight and argument.

And as much as it pissed him off to admit it, was there ever a point when she wasn't wrong?

Kogoro had issues. Even he couldn't ever be drunk enough to deny that. His… Let's just say difficult home life and how disapproving his late cold vultures of inlaws were of their potential son in law, didn't do much for his self esteem.

Hell even Eri had enough of how austere Giichi and Koko Kisaki were and when they threatened to kick Kogoro out after they caught them… Well together in bed on her eighteenth birthday. Eri who had often overlooked the obvious flaws of her parents, took his side in what Kogoro would still count as one of the nicest things anyone had even done for him. Leaving together in a red rage, they both moved out.

He popped the question the next day.

Much to her regret, Eri would never talk to her parents again. Two years later they died due to a house fire because of faulty wiring. Eri was completely devastated yet Kogoro was there for her. So was Eri when his old man drank himself to death and all he could respond with was celebration.

Through hard work they both finished college and managed to get in the justice field almost immediately. Kogoro became a cop, happy to become the antithesis of everything his dad was while Eri's own proud devotion to justice got her a job at the office of her mentor.

Kogoro remembered those days fondly. Somehow the two of them being dirt poor resulted in him being happier then he was now. No matter the hardship, he looked forward to every second with Eri as she was the jewel that shone so bright in the earthworm soaked soil no matter what. He could just stare at her for hours and he'd be reminded that no matter what his troubles were, he still had her and they had each other.

He didn't even mind her crappy cooking. Half the time he was so hungry that he just scarfed it down heartily. That made his young wife smile.

But things change. When Eri got pregnant with Ran, Kogoro was nervous about messing up. Memories of the bastard who raised him made him pause in reluctance over what he thought were well founded fears. What if he made a mistake? But on the day she was born all if his doubts went away and everything made perfect sense. Just one eyesome look at that perfect beautiful girl as he cradled her in his arms made all doubts turn to dross. Kogoro felt like his life was perfect.

While nursing at Eri's breast they quickly decided on a name to match the miracle they created, something that matched his little girl's beauty.

Ran. Orchid.

Then just a few years later he resigned from the Tokyo Police Department to avoid fallout after firing a gun without approval. He begrudgingly swallowed this after the legal advice of Eri. Of course it didn't matter that he was protecting his wife from a psychopath who took her hostage... It still was a sure way to make Kogoro scowl and gnash his teeth to powder to this day.

Looking for jobs, he struck gold. Why not become a private eye? Megure, the evil bastard, had suggested it off hand and Kogoro, now rapt with attention had swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.

It had seemed so easy on paper, but problems soon showed itself. First off he had to take a exam in order to get registered which Kogoro thought was bullshit given his experience. Many sleepless nights from studying followed, and with Eri gone for long periods of the day, he now had no way to steal the answers.

How he passed was to this day a complete mystery. Maybe it was because he spent more time with his daughter instead of neglecting her, and the countless immeasurable laughter and smiles he received was worth more then any book he had to cram inside his extraordinarily stolid cranium.

Once that he was a PI, Kogoro now had the opportunity to get to know his clients instead of having to serve them in a capacity as an officer and civilian. Affable as he was, he couldn't help but be friendly, obvious frustrations aside. He had meals with them, he listened to them, hell he got __attached__ to them.

And he won many a case. But lost more.

Kogoro tried to keep a lid on his stress and guilt at home. He was a man after all, not some pansy who couldn't handle it. This was nothing he hadn't seen when on the force.

So what if he drank a little more than usual? He liked to have fun and needed to take a load off.

Why shouldn't he flirt with other women? It's not like he intended to cheat on Eri or anything…

And it isn't his fault business had been dry! Even his mentor, Heihachiro Shiota, one of the greatest detectives of modern Japan, had been led out to pasture. He was his greatest student after all!

To this day, any epiphany on his self destructive behavior eluded him completely. He still couldn't help but make the same mistakes all over again, unaware that he was the one who had changed. Soon, his wife bore the brunt of his frustration as his hidden depression fed into his hair trigger temper as Eri would spend long and longer times at work, with Kogoro suspecting that she was doing explicitly in order to avoid him.

When she did get home, they would get into harsh spats where the washed up detective would scream at his wife for never coming home, for being so calm and frigid, for abandoning her own daughter, and that cooking that he used to love tasted so horrible after such a lonely miserable day.

The only consolation he could find was that Ran never seemed to notice. Because why on earth would she ever want them back together if she actually recalled how cruel they had been to each other? Why would Ran be so patient? Why wouldn't his daughter hate him like he deserved?

In the deepest recesses of his addled mind, Kogoro knew that it was his fault that Eri left him. Kogoro had many regrets but treating Eri so harshly was the worst of them.

But every time he genuinely tried to fix their relationship, the olive branch he offered broke upon itself. No amount of trying ever appeared good enough for her, and all the secret resentment he felt bubbled to the surface and he was back to square one, unable to stop himself from sniping accusations at the lawyer who always threatened him with divorce yet never did, making that particular warning hollow.

He had the perfect life after so much suffering and Kogoro had pissed it away like he was want to do.

After Eri cancelled the date Ran forced him into, Kogoro was sorta guilty in a way he hadn't felt in quite a long time. Without the occasional update from Ran, the silent treatment was too heavy for him to ignore. He felt bad, no he __was__ bad. The cheering he did when she cancelled, had a bitter echo in his mind. It wasn't fair to her. Resolute, and even with the many revelations he needed in order for him fix his marriage and make their relationship work still simmering in his subconscious, the distress that was emanating from inside was getting painful to bear even if Kogoro didn't understand the root cause.

Ultimately he decided that it was because he missed her and felt that his need to chivalrously help any pretty women he came across outweighed his own pride. Huh. It was long time since he could admit that Eri was still as beautiful as ever.

So in complete secrecy so Ran wouldn't get any wrong ideas he got up early, took a long shower so the stench of booze that Eri negatively associated with Kogoro wouldn't be on him, and neatly groomed himself the best he could so he'd look as handsome as possible. There was a touch and go moment where the brat nearly caught him but running outside he managed to get the scent off of him.

Of course, he may not have been wearing pants per say but despite his second thoughts, the cold breeze wasn't that bad.

Waiting around the opposite corner, Kogoro watched as Ran left briefly sniffing the air as if she could smear the cologne. Then Conan left, looking back at him with a glare before rolling his eyes and following. That little bastard! Kogoro couldn't help but glower. There would be vengeance later.

Cooling off and putting his pants on, making sure it was latched tightly through the belt loops so it wouldn't fall down, he finished getting ready and left. He made two stops, one at the florist and the other to get some chocolates. Come to think of it would Eri even let him see her? She hated to look unkempt or in disarray and there had been hell when they were both teenagers if he emerged on her before she was ready.

Clearly not thinking this through, Kogoro hailed a cab anyway, the detective had absolutely no idea what he was going to do when he got to her office. The seasoned drunk decided that he was going to try his best to keep his temper in check… But if that failed, he did have a lot of jokes that he was going to bring out, with the indignant look on the proud, supposedly erudite lawyer as she bent over or squatted down over a toilet.

Karma was swift as the cabbie accidentally hit a bump, planting a goose egg on top of his head. He growled, palpating his injured skull. "Hey watch where you are going!"  
Apologizing, he stopped. He was finally here.

Getting out without leaving a tip, Kogoro quickly rubbed his slicked hair back so it covered the wound, cradling the box of chocolate and a bouquet of roses as he went in.

The lobby was derelict, without a speck of grime or dust. Something was off though… Shouldn't her secretary be here? Maybe she had the day off or perhaps Eri didn't want her illness to spread. Looking down he saw that the couch was slightly ajar, with a carpet mark where one of the legs had left a deep impression.

Pondering it further, Kogoro's reverie was interrupted by the beeping of the answering machine. This one was connected to the one upstairs that she used for more personal calls and Midori would man it in case she missed a call, which she rarely did. Brushing off just one of many red flags he listened briefly. It was a client who was asking for an update on her case.

Once again, this was completely out of the ordinary. Usually Eri would have taken the due diligence and just canceled all her appointments. Mainly though, she just worked through the pain. Curious, he went over and examined it, his eyes lighting up with shock once he saw the red number showing all the unanswered queries.

Thirty seven messages? Eri most really be sick. Now the Sleeping Sleuth was beginning to get worried about his wife's health. However since Ran got a few updates, she wouldn't have to got the hospital.

Still, he was at least kind of overjoyed that he'd be the one to nurse her back to health, this time not out of some petty form of revenge, but because he genuinely cared about her and for once wanted to do something other then argue.

Humming tunelessly, Kogoro was so excited that he ignored several worrying signs such the scuff marks on the stairs or the fact that the door to her office was open slightly askew. Opening the door, Kogoro yelled, "Hi honey, I'm home!" In very broken English like he practiced because he knew that pissed her off significantly in a cute way.

Looking down at the debris covered room, Kogoro saw Midori's cold dead eyes stared right back at him...

Kogoro froze in the doorway, dropping the flowers and Swiss Chocolates with a loud thud. All of a sudden his arms went limp.

Midori Kuriyama, the Queen Of The Courtrooms most loyal assistant and close confident, lied dead with her neck twisted the wrong way round, her mouth agape with flies crawling out **with her neck twisted ****_wrong._**

__No. She's like a surrogate aunt to Ran.__

Everything appeared like it was in slow motion. He glanced at the rest of the room, trying his best to feel an emotion other than shock. It vaguely resembled what Kogoro imagined the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was like, with broken picture frames in the center and clothes strewn in all directions all around the proverbial blast radius. What psychological phenomenon Kogoro was currently feeling, is something which while he had seen in many family members of murder victims but couldn't really completely understand. Until now.

Shock

The paralysis wasn't going to leave his body tissue for a few more moments. Statuesque, the detective who had always seen no problem with rushing into danger to save someone else, now stood still as his low breathing threatened to suffocate him to death. It was as if the muscle memory that triggered his fight or flight (Mostly flight in Kogoro's case) had been stolen from him, his reflexes now akin to a gouty old man then the roaring Judoka he used to be.

CRACK

Kogoro lifted his foot up. His shoe had completely broken Eri's smartphone which had been left abandoned on the floor.

"...Eri?" Kogoro croaked as another message appeared on the answering machine.

His tearing eyes drifted to a torn up photo in a center of the room, directly in front of the desk with a shining bronzed nameplate that read ERI KISAKI in delicately embossed kanji.

Old, slightly faded, and brimming with images from the past, it was from a photo booth in Tropical Land where Kogoro had taken an excited Eri for their first date.

She had been ripped out completely.


	4. Dandelions

****NOTE: This is the beginning of detectiveran's part of the work. She does chapters 4-6. These are based off a summary I gave but I also allowed her free reign. I hope you enjoy and check her out! She is much more talented then me! ****

Elementary school at the age of seventeen was a mind numbing experience on any average day, Conan practically itching to get away from the school but on this particular day, he was extra fidgety.

Once the final bell rang, he let out a breath of relief and hurried up to latch his backpack on. He speed walked through the hallways, happy to see the main gate and put his shoes on. When he stepped out of the building though, he was surrounded.

The Detective Boys. And Haibara.

"Ah, where are you going, Conan-kun? We were going to play soccer after school!" Ayumi whined.

Conan winced and said, "Sorry, Ayumi-chan. I have to go pick up Ran-neechan. We're supposed to go buy groceries." He supposed that they could buy groceries while he was with Ran, though the groceries itself wasn't the priority, Ran was.

Ayumi pouted, Haibara ignored him as she usually did and Genta and Mitsuhiko jeered at him, knowing how particularly fond Conan was towards the high schooler, "Awww, husband and wife are going out together. How sweet!" Conan rolled his eyes in response. It wasn't anything new that he hadn't heard while he was in his actual body and the possibility of him getting married to Ran was higher than while he was in the body of a seven year old kid. It didn't matter though; he had to meet up with Ran.

He had noticed that someone was following her, the instant he noticed that the first time, he ran off after the person, ignoring Ran's cries of him asking what was wrong. His mind was too jumbled with the thoughts of Black Organization having finally found him out. He would be damned if he was going to let Ran get hurt.

He ran after that individual, who had disguised themselves to perfection. Shinichi couldn't figure out whether it was a man or a woman. The minute he chased the person to the intersection though, that person was nowhere to be found. He looked around everywhere, his heart in his throat and only stopped when he noticed that Ran had come after him and was looking worried. He knew that he had lost that person, there was no point in looking around and since he didn't want Ran to worry, he made up an excuse on the spot, "I thought I saw one of my friends, Ran-neechan. I'm sorry."

Ran, naturally scolded him, and took his hand in hers; reluctant to let him go after he had ran off without any preamble. Conan, though, was busy running through a list of people who could be this proficient and he could only think of Black Organization.

When they reached the detective agency, Conan made up an excuse about going to meet Agasa-hakase. He needed to talk to Haibara whether she had noticed some Organization members' presence or not. She had this uncanny ability to sense him, though they couldn't be relied upon but something was better than nothing and so he was off.

When Haibara heard the whole story, she determinedly said, "There's no way an Organization member would be so incompetent and conspicuous to let you sense them until and unless they wanted you scared out of your mind, which is more up Gin's alley than anyone else's but he isn't fond of doing the dirty work by himself so I doubt it's them. They would be too swift to attack that you wouldn't even notice it."

As a testament to this, Haibara had done something, she proclaimed and at first, he was confused. He hadn't noticed anything awry but the instant his stomach felt heavy and the nausea hit him, he ran off to the bathroom and promptly vomited.

"See, didn't I tell you, you wouldn't even notice until it's too late," Haibara said behind him as he puked his guts out. Once the nausea subsided and he washed his mouth to clear that funky sensation, he jokingly asked himself if she has truly left the Organization behind.

The agency was alive with Ran's and Kogoro's voice when he neared. He walked up the steps and opened the door to hear Ran's voice clearly say, "C'mon, Dad, do we have to go? I can't let Conan-kun stay alone without any supervision."

Usually, he would have been indignant but he saw the opportunity for what it was and said, "I can ask Hakase to come and stay, Ran-neechan. Then it wouldn't be a problem, right?"

Ran sighed and agreed. Kogoro harrumphed, happy to finally go out and clear his head.

When Hakase came in tow with Haibara, Ran apologizing for the late call, Shinichi was glad. Now he could ask them to search for bugs, listening devices or hidden cameras. When nothing turned after up after a thorough investigation of every corner of the detective agency, Shinichi let out a breath of relief.

He thanked Hakase and turned to Haibara, the episode in the afternoon fresh in his mind and said, "I'll take my revenge, Haibara, be warned."

She rolled her eyes at his bravado attempt and said, "I had to make it realistic."

Shinichi snorted.

While he had been thinking over what had happened a few days ago, he noticed that he had reached Ran's high school. Well, his high school as well but that was neither here nor there. He waited for Ran to show up and was met with her happy face in the buzz of other high schoolers leaving for their homes.

"Conan-kun! What a surprise, did you come for me?" Ran asked with a huge smile.

Conan nodded and held his hand out for Ran to hold as she was prone to these days after he had ran off on her. Ran grasped his hand and they talked about their schools and mindless other things before the conversation hit a lull.

Ran wet her lips, not knowing whether she should approach the topic or not. Conan-kun seemed like such a happy child. What if asking about his parents would bring up bad memories he didn't want to think of? But on the other hand, she wanted to know more about him. She loved him like a little brother and wanted him to be comfortable enough to talk about anything with her. So, she decided to prod him a bit. She would back off if she saw that Conan-kun was reluctant.

When she started to ask him though, Conan-kun rubbed his ear as if it stung and Ran was a bit worried, did he catch an ear infection?

Shinichi, on the other hand, though, rubbed his ear in response to her questions. He remembered how angry his mother had been over the phone. Scolding him how he was lying to Ran-chan and he shouldn't dig his hole further. His father, on the other hand though, was pretty excited, which was pretty bizarre experience in Shinichi's humble opinion. His father had somehow managed to convince his mother to play along with Conan-kun's made up family routine.

For the millionth time in his life, Shinichi thought, What was wrong with his parents?

His father had given him cliff notes about the Edogawa family circus and Shinichi tried to remember what he was supposed to say and tried his best not to slip up as Ran questioned him about his family.

Yes, his father left him when he was young.

Yes, he felt lonely and didn't want to mention it to his mother because he thought that she already worried enough.

Yes, he loved his mother a lot. She sacrificed a lot for him.

He loathed this. He always hated lying to Ran. She's always trusted him and before he turned into Conan, he had never lied to her. Yes, he hid some things but he never straight up lied to her like he was doing now. His already bad mood slipped a few notches and he grew sullen. He didn't want to lie anymore, so he decided to keep quiet and started to avoid some questions. Screw the plan his father had come up with. He couldn't manage the guilt.

Ran noticed how Conan-kun was getting quieter after every passing question and so she cleared up something, not wanting him to think that he had to bare his life in front of her, "I'm so happy that you can talk to me about this, Conan-kun. I, personally, know how hard it is to find out that your parents aren't as perfect as you think they are," Ran smiled sadly and ouch, there goes another arrow to his heart, "But I'm so glad you feel comfortable enough to talk to me. I… I'm always saved by you, Conan-kun. You always cheer me up and make things better for me and I've never been able to do that for you. So, knowing that you're comfortable enough to share this with me makes me happy that I'm doing something for you, too."

Shinichi clutched her hand in response, hating his small body and the things he was limited to say and do.

"I love you, Conan-kun," Ran said with a smile, "and I don't want to make you uncomfortable around me, so if you don't want to talk about your family to me, you don't have to, okay?"

Shinichi always knew that Ran treated Conan-kun as a brother but going so far as to love him? He never imagined that and for a split second, he took this window of opportunity to lay his feelings out in the open. When he spoke it was not Conan-kun speaking, but Shinichi. Well, if he was being honest, it was both of them. Both of his personas loved Ran and they both wanted to make her happy, but right now, Conan-kun could do it better. So, he kept up his Conan mask and reverted to his childish side.

"I love you a lots too, Ran-neechan! You always make me happy!" he said in an exaggerated happy tone, hiding the sincerity behind those words, "You can ask me whatever you want, Ran-neechan. I'll tell you everything."

And so, the Conan Edogawa mask got a bit solid as he relayed what his father had told him. He snuck in pieces of truth though, about how lonely he felt when his actual parents, Yusaku and Yukiko had left him, how grateful he had been to have a childhood friend around, how he had managed to cope up, how hard it had been.

They walked around the town, stopping at a park and sitting down, enjoying the dusky sky. Ran was busy going over what Conan-kun had told her and how much she could relate to what the young boy had gone through. He was so brilliant and it was such a shame that his parents had abandoned him. Her thoughts grew sadder, feeling a kinship with the boy.

She was brought out from her musings, when a dandelion came in her vision. She looked down to see Conan-kun blushing and holding the flower for her and she crouched down to accept the flower, a mix of heavy emotions crushing her and she said, "Thank you, Conan-kun."

Shinichi wasn't satisfied though. He had seen roses that looked far prettier but he didn't have the courage to pluck them. The connotations that flower held were a bit too much for a seven year old kid, though he did want to give them to her.

Seeing Ran smile that prettily though, he thought that the dandelion worked as well for now. They walked back to the agency, a happier mood surrounding them, their talks filled with giggles and teases but all of that stopped when they saw the cops in front of the house. Worried, they ran the remaining way but were blocked by some cops they didn't recognize. They refused to grant them entry. While Ran and Conan were busy trying to convince the cops that it was their home, a TV crashed out the window.

They stare horrified at the scene until Conan came to his senses and hurried up the stairs, Ran following him behind. Ran knew she would never forget the image she saw next; her father furious and sobbing, demanding Megure-keibu to find his wife, while his subordinates tried to calm him down.

Ran's stomach churned, seeing her father so despondent, looking like he had lost all his senses. Her feet froze, too shocked by the scene. She had seen him in so many bad states, from dead drunk to leering lecherously at barely clothed women. She had seen him proud, embarrassed, and even happy but never this. He looked like his world was crumbling around him.

Shinichi was of similar mind, thinking that he had never seen Occhan like this, though he caught up with the room's conversation faster than Ran. Something had happened. And it was related to Kisaki-sensei. In that instant, he knew. He knew that their lives were going to be changed forever.

No one noticed that there were two more people in the room. Not until Ran said in a horrified whisper, "Where is Mom?"


	5. Dead Drop

Sato sat at her desk, going through the suspect list for the umpteenth time; she had been able to identify three suspects. That wasn't the problem. The problem was lack of lack of leads. Just having the names weren't enough, especially when despite a BOLO being placed on the three suspects; they were nowhere to be found. They had nothing concrete. No leads, no evidences. Just three names and with the way this investigation was unfolding, Sato wouldn't be surprised if the names she had picked out were fake. She was overwhelmed and drained. They had no idea which places to search. The suspects had left nothing at the crime scene that could help identify them.

When they had searched through the database and come up with home addresses for all the three suspects, there had been a spark of hope but when the searches came up with nada, they were back to square one. They just had names and nothing else.

Shiratori was the first one to point out what all of them were thinking. That there was something that didn't add up. The three suspects weren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the box and one of them was even wanted for months of alimony payments. The other two hadn't been able to finish high school, ending up in the workforce without any special skills to boast off. The bizarre thing was that there was utter chaos on the scene but several areas were cleaned up. Wouldn't they have cleaned up everything in order to not get caught? Was there something specific in those areas that were cleaned up? Who had the idea about cleaning up this thoroughly in the first place? The three suspects reeked of irresponsibility. Who could have been far sighted enough to not leave anything significant? Takagi agreed with Shiratori. Something else was going on with the case but since they had no evidences, they couldn't investigate further. They had hit a brick wall.

Division one had turned into a stress filled war zone. With how close the Mouris were with several officers in the division, everyone was feeling the pressure. They were quick to anger, the lack of sleep making everyone irritable. They didn't want to disappoint the people who always helped them out. Eri Kisaki, herself, had helped the division on several occasions and they were glad to have such wonderful allies with them. Disappointing them now would be the biggest taint in the division's history and they would be damned if it ever came to that.

They were on their wits' end though. Nothing was working in their favor. They were sitting ducks, waiting for something, anything, to fall in their laps that could help them just move a step further in this kidnapping case.

Everyone was trying their best. Sato and Shiratori busy pouring over the crime scene files and finding out people they could question. Megure, on the other hand was busy handling Kogoro Mouri. Megure was worried about him. He knew how volatile Kogoro could be and in such an awful situation, with his hands bound, Kogoro would turn to drinking his sorrows away and so, Megure babysat him. He essentially became Kogoro's punching bag. His explosive fury knew no bounds. Kogoro would mutter profanities about how useless the police was, how they had no right to keep him out of the loop, not when his wife's life was on the line. Either it was vitriol or it was heart wrenching sobs that came from Kogoro's mouth. Megure didn't know which he preferred to see. Kogoro had always been a proud man, not wanting to admit his faults and Megure had thought that some humbling would do the man a world of good but seeing him just break into pieces was too much. He almost wished for the old Kogoro to be back, cocky and quick to judge; who would crack awful jokes and leer over women. This dark circled, shabby haired man was a shell of his former self.

Takagi was stuck with the most heartbreaking job, at least that's what he thought. He was supposed to watch over Ran-san and Conan-kun. Seeing the two kids being so somber, especially Ran-san, never failed to make his heart ache. The three of them would be surrounded by silence for hours and it only broke when Conan-kun would ask something related to the case, otherwise Ran-san and Conan-kun would sit together with Conan-kun clutching Ran-san's hand like it was his lifeline. Ran san's eyes were too blank, her gestures too slow, her responses too late. Takagi had no doubt that it was Conan-kun who was anchoring Ran-san to reality, reminding her to stay with them and to not regress in the recesses of her mind. Seeing them like this broke his heart and he would often return back to the headquarters feeling like a dead weight and on most days, he would be able to gather his strength back but some days, he had no choice but to break down in tears. The Mouri family didn't deserve this.

He had heard from Megure-keibu how badly Mouri-san was holding up. Their family was in tatters, hinging on the police department's assistance to bring Eri Kisaki home. Takagi had a bad feeling, though. His instincts screamed at him that something horrible was about to happen and he hoped against hope that his instincts would turn out to be wrong. For that sake of Mouri family, he hoped that they would be able to find the culprits soon.

Sato was going through the crime scene photos once again, looking for anything out of place, when her phone rang. It was Takagi-kun, saying that he found a lead and to come to the Mouri Detective Agency. Sato quickly closed her files, notified the department about there being a lead and rushed as fast as she could. While on her way to the agency, she talked to Takagi-kun, who informed her that the kidnapper had contacted them at last. Sato's stomach churned, it had been days since Eri Kisaki was kidnapped, for them to call them so late? The list of reasons why they would call after days didn't look good. She stopped the car and squared her shoulder, ready to take on whatever came their way.

When she entered the agency though, she was taken aback. Ran-chan was handing out food to the other officers and obsessively cleaning up the counter, offering pleasantries in a monotone. Her movements were mechanical and when she heard footsteps at the door, her head shot up and Sato could see how lifeless Ran-chan's eyes were. Ran-chan managed to put on a poor imitation of a smile on her face and her voice was robotic when she welcomed her. Sato had never seen Ran behave like this; her heart sped up; watching the cheerful, young girl turn into this shell was too much. Takagi-kun had told her how badly the kids were holding up but seeing it in action was a chilling experience. That's what she thought before she saw little Conan-kun though. His behavior unnerved Sato. He was acting even weirder than Ran-chan. Usually, a child his age would be freaking out about this situation, showing some signs of distress but no, he was calm and collected. Too calm and collected, in Sato's opinion. These kids were scaring her.

Before she could mull over it even further, Takagi-kun hurried them over to the answering machine. Apparently the culprits had offered a ransom. The police was supposed to come with a sum that was oddly specific and it was to be carried in two separate duffle bags. One duffle bag was to be dropped off under a park bench and the other one was to be given directly to the kidnapper in exchange for Eri.

That wasn't all though. There were some caveats, the biggest them of being that Conan-kun was supposed to deliver the money to kidnapper all by himself. The police disapproved, reluctant to have a child in the middle of this. Ran was vehemently adamant about not letting Conan-kun be the one to deliver the money. She could deliver the money as well, which prompted more disagreements, most of which came from Conan-kun himself.

The arguments stopped when the kidnapper released an audio of Eri's screams though. The air inside the agency grew chilly, all of them frozen to their core. They had never heard Eri scream like this, full of pain and anguish. The kidnapper continued, "I'll be waiting and if any of you try to do anything funny, this audio will be the last thing you'll ever hear from this woman," and then hung up.

There was nothing but silence for a few seconds, everyone busy processing the kidnapper's demands, before Conan-kun bravely said, "I'll do it. I'll be the one to give them the money."

Before anyone could disagree, Kogoro came in with Megure hot behind his heels, having been informed that there was a lead. Seeing his daughter's pale tear streaked face, he asked drunkenly, "What's going on?"

A few hours and many arguments later, Sato and Takagi found themselves disguised and watching over Conan-kun to make sure the delivery took place without any hitches. Conan-kun was taking this on like a pro, staying in contact with the kidnapper on a burner phone, talking to him while he rushed over to the drop off point. Childishly cajoling the kidnapper to reveal something significant about himself.

Sato was on alert, watching Conan-kun put one duffle bag under the bench, and wondered if all of this was just a bluff. Was the kidnapper actually going to take all of the money away? Or was he going to take some of it with an accomplice? Was that his intention?

Takagi had been thinking along the same line as hers and had ordered to have multiple officers disguised, ready to catch all the culprits. They had a window of opportunity to end this awful case and he would be damned if it got away from them.

Conan stayed at the drop off point, as the kidnapper had instructed, ready with the other bag of money. The kidnapper came in a few seconds later on wobbly knees and with Eri, apparently stuffed in a chest.

Conan didn't give him the time to reach where he was though and knocked the kidnapper on his side with a soccer ball. The instant the police saw the kidnapper on the ground, shouting in pain, they swarmed in with their handcuffs ready. Sato, in the midst of all this activity, noticed a bald, young officer that she wasn't able to recognize at all but didn't have the time to dwell on it. She had a suspect on her hand.

The suspect was screaming in pain, he had broken his hip and begging the officers not to open the chest. Having thought that Eri was inside the chest, they opened it in a rush as they didn't hear any sound coming out of it. What if Eri had lost consciousness because she couldn't breathe, being cooped up in that box?

When they saw that it was a college student inside, they were confused. What on earth was going on? Suddenly, a blast was heard and they whirled around to see several police officers' cars set on fire. Bullets were fired on them from the hotels next to the park and the cops rushed for cover. Sato, Shiratori and Takagi exchanged a look and came out of their covers, guns on the ready, even though they weren't given permission. They had a chance to get Kisaki-sensei back home. They would be damned if they backed away now.

Conan, who was being held off by Megure, saw through the farce for what it was. He announced that it wasn't actually bullets but bottle rockets and flares to create the illusion that they were under fire.

When the hail of 'bullets' stopped, catching his breath, Takagi noticed that the money was gone and was puzzled because he knew for sure that the kidnapper was under their custody. Who could have taken that bag of money? He decided to do a head count, trying to figure out whether someone had run away from the crime scene and his eyes widened when the number of police officers they had come with was one less in number. A cop was missing.

Enraged, Megure ordered to close the perimeter, nobody was stepping a foot away from the park until the fake cop was found and brought to him.

They searched throughout the park and even widened their area, including the nearby buildings, looking for the missing cop. But to their disappointment, he was nowhere to be found. He was gone.

Sato, though had found something or someone, she should say. She relayed that the officer who was supposed to watch over the bench where the drop off had taken place was tied up with his clothes missing, unconscious. Someone had infiltrated their mission and Sato was willing to bet it was the bald officer she had seen. She had thought that he wasn't a familiar face. She cursed, wishing she could have acted on her instinct.

When Kogoro was informed about the police's unsuccessful attempt at bringing Eri back, he couldn't hold his anger back. And since it was Megure who had relayed the news to him, it was him whom Kogoro punched. Cursing at him, he raged, "You useless police! Bring my wife back! Bring her back!"

Ran was heartbroken, tears streaming down her face. They had promised! They had promised they would bring Eri back. That she would be back home safely. So where was she now? Feeling her legs lose strength, she slumped down on the sofa. She felt cold everywhere, wishing for her mother to be safe and alive. A burst of warmth met her side and she glanced down to see Conan-kun leaning against her side.

She wished she could have been happier to have his support but looking at his face, his defeated expression, it brought fresh tears to Ran's eyes. Conan-kun had been so brave, ready to bring her mother home, even though he had met her a handful times.

He had been ready to lay it all on the line for her and there was nothing to show for it except for more pain. She wished she could gather her strength to console him. To let him know that he had done his best. But no words came to her. With her mother's apparent absence screaming in her head, she had nothing to offer. Neither to herself, nor to him.

But Conan did apparently, "I'm sorry, Ran-neechan."

Ran gritted her teeth. Fluctuating between sadness and anger, she knew that it wasn't Conan's fault and he had nothing to apologize about, he had done everything he could. She tried to convey that to him but found herself choked up and decided to give up on words and plucked him from her side and hugged him tightly.

Conan was quiet, knowing he couldn't offer her anything else and if this little body was enough, he would happily stay like this until she felt better. Seeing her like this was painful.

Seeing Ran so defeated crushed him.


	6. Breaking A Women

Eri didn't know how long it had been since she had started walking in the cold. Her whole body ached, though the pain in her chest seemed to overshadow everything. The chilly wind had nothing on the storm that was going on inside her head.

She sniffled, wiping her nose on the only piece of clothing she had; her jacket. She hated that jacket with her entire being. It kept her reminding her of what had happened. How completely ruined she was. Completely helpless, alone, aching from head to toe, just begging for someone; anyone to have mercy on her and let her rest her weary body and soul.

She was tired. So tired.

This jacket was a reward from those monsters. They had allowed her to choose just a single piece of clothing that she could wear and she had chosen the jacket because it covered her stinging body. If she were being honest, she didn't even remember choosing it. Everything was so blurry and out of focus that it felt like a dream. Maybe a nightmare would be the appropriate term considering what she had been through these past few days.

She was bleeding profusely. Copious amounts of blood running down her legs. She could hardly see the road she was walking on. Her eyes were so swollen that they were nearly shut. She could barely move her jaw. It hurt to even make a slight movement. It hurt to breathe. Her breaths came out in spurt and tears started to fill her eyes.

She had represented women who looked like her in a many court rooms. Women who had been savagely ripped apart; who had lost their sense of self and identity. Women who were raped.

Her chest heaved as she brought herself to accept it. Her vision blurred and she didn't see the frigid puddle that she had stepped on. She slipped, barely catching herself on the wall of an abandoned alleyway.

Memories upon memories bombarded her. How her to-be rapists had confronted her in her office, killing her sweet assistant and abducting her. How she had been held against her will, forced to commit acts that she wished she could erase from her mind.

Having lost the battle against her tears, she broke down. It had been coming and she knew it was close but she hadn't anticipated how bad her breakdown she would be. She sobbed for what she had lost and what she thought she would lose if she hadn't done whatever her captors told her to. They made her beg, humiliated her, taunted her; what her family would think if they saw the strong willed, hard armored Eri Kisaki begging to be forgiven on her knees. Eri had lost hope of ever seeing her family again. But now that she was finally free, she didn't know how she would face them. She was so ashamed. Ashamed of what had happened to her. Ashamed of her being so broken and pitiful.

She slipped down the wall and huddled her knees, resting her face on them and just sobbed bitterly. Her life was over. There was no turning back from this. No way this could ever be fixed.

.

.

Yumi was having a very dull night. She wagered that even the partygoers were too reluctant to come out and create a scene on the roads when it was so chillingly cold. Remembering Miwako though, she breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that Eri Kisaki had been missing for days and Miwako had been very stressed these past few days. At least, her duty was pretty easy compared to what Miwako had been going through. She drove around, passing the time when she noticed a figure huddling against the wall of an alleyway.

Oh, dear, she thought, staying out in this cold would turn out to be very dangerous and she walked out of her car to help the person in. She could help them find a shelter where they could stay for the night, at least. Being homeless during winters could be life threatening.

When she neared the figure, she noticed that it was a woman and she crouched a little and addressed the woman, "Ma'am, if you could please come with me. It's very cold out here and it can be very dangerous during this time to stay out." She noticed that the woman had nothing but a jacket on and her mind raced.

Paying more attention, she could see the woman shaking. Yumi switched her flashlights on and gasped. The woman was beaten up badly. Blood ran down her legs and her nails were dirty with grime. Yumi ran to her car back again and radioed for help. Something bad had happened to this woman and they needed to get her to a police station. After hearing the affirmative from the other side and an estimated arrival time, she jogged back to the woman in question.

When she touched the woman's shoulders though, she screamed and flinched away from her, burrowing herself inside her jacket. Yumi's eyes grew wide. She knew this woman. But more importantly, she knew that reaction. She froze in shock, knowing what was coming to division one and Mouri's family way. She had found Eri Kisaki.

.

.

Yumi could hear sirens and she knew that help had arrived. She was thankful that the other patrol officer was a woman because she knew that if a male police officer had come to help, Kisaki-sensei would have definitely suffered from a panic attack. The way she was violently shaking, the way she flinched, her lack of proper clothing. It didn't take a genius to figure out what could have happened to the lawyer.

When the other officer came to the scene, she froze in terror. The infallible Eri Kisaki whom they had heard so much about was now reduced to a broken body and heart wrenching whimpers.

Eri, on other hand, when came to her senses and recognized the young police officer couldn't stop herself from running towards her. She was a familiar face. And a familiar face was one step closer to her family. She cried as she hugged her waist, relief mixing in with despair. After being touched without her consent, being beaten up; the young woman was a comfort to Eri.

She could finally rest now. She was now closer to home. Closer to see her daughter's lovely face. Closer to see her gruff husband. Closer to see the young, intuitive boy; people who had become a part of her.

Eri found comfort in Yumi for what she symbolized and before thoughts about how her family would react when they came to know what had happened to her would enter her mind, she passed out.

Yumi looked at Kisaki-sensei and gritted her teeth, her eyes teared up and she hoped that what she thought wouldn't be true.

She hoped Eri Kisaki wasn't raped.

* * *

****Disappearance Of Eri Kisaki Arc ends now.****


	7. Return To Sender

**There was fascinating cluster of human emotion barnacled around the landline that sat abreast the hard oak desk of Kogoro Mouri, each represented by the three members that resided within.**

On the swiveling armchair sat the big cheese himself. The eponymous Kogoro Mouri slept with his back bent backwards like some sort of reverse question mark, just one of the many uncomfortable positions he was in. Flushed red, with the contours of his eyebrows arched upwards in cold fury over his lack of power, all the man could do was silently drown his doubts in booze and let it lull him to sleep for all the good it did him.

Laying on the floor directly perpendicular to the exhausted gumshoe, were the only other two occupants of the little apartment complex. One was Ran Mouri, the daughter of the one who had been kidnapped. Usually the caretaker and only actual adult of the house, the stress and trauma of the ordeal had finally resulted in the young woman feeling her proper years. Small wonder the house was a mess right now.

Cradled to her chest, seeking comfort in the only pair of breasts in the room while thankfully preferring the gargantuan heart beneath, was little Conan Edogawa. Fidgeting away in his deep unconscious, his mind still alight with thoughts much too harsh for someone his supposed age, even he couldn't escape the black hole of guilt and worry pulling everyone to the center.

Beer cans and bottles were piled on top like old newspapers and overdue bills. The only light came from the lamp which was left on ostensibly to ease the fears of the two children in the room, a ruddy nightlight that offered only the vaguest of comforts yet that was all they could receive for the past few days.

A few days before that this house was being used as a headquarters for the task force and they had made a total mess of the place. It had been a loud rabble then with all different sorts of loud noises reverberating madly in the house.

Now silence and darkness reigned inside the derelict domicile, filled with the rank sillage of beer, cigarettes, and the acrid body odor of those three who haven't bathed out of stress and hopelessness.

Deep inside the desk had become a sort of shrine to the triad, a silent altar where they prayed for news regarding the case. Except in this case they had a direct line to the being that could potentially answer their prayers. But first it had to be answered.

With ears accustomed to be sensitive to every quiet squeak from the dial, just a little tremble by the incoming decibel could wake them up. All three wished for good news and struggled immensely to banish all thoughts of the bad. That was just impossible to think about. Right now though they needed their sleep.

Yet now it was time to wake up.

RING RING! RING RIN-

Jumping out of his seat as his torso jerked like a fish on a hook, Kogoro's knee caught on the desk and he struggled not to trip over his own leg but failed, slamming face first into the ground. Cursing over his spreadeagled frame, Kogoro slammed his scarred fist against the floor three times before regaining his balance.

Standing up, he could see that both Ran and Conan had woken up, sort of dazed and dreary from emotional exhaustion. Rans large guileless eyes shone in the dim room and the thought of having to potentially tell her that her mother was…

No fuck that. There was no way his wife was dead! But as he leaned over the desk with his legs trembling and his arms suffering from tremors finger to elbow, the doubts cruelly crept in unbidden.

Swallowing the lump that was slowly collecting mass in his gullet, he prepared for the worst and decided to rip out the bandaid now.

"Moshi Moshi…" His voice was reedy and low from days of screaming and crying incessantly, coming out rather scratchy. He hoped it was audible enough as he simply didn't have the strength to raise it any more. Seconds ticked by, as the pace of his heartbeat quickened at the silence until-

"Mouri-San!" Megure's gruff voice was a relief. "We found Eri."

Afraid of the answer as Ran studied her fathers expression for any hint of tragedy, Kogoros voice broke. "Is she…"

"No Kogoro she's alive but…" His heart skipped a beat as his joy at his wife's survival made his mind unable to heed the graveness of Megure's voice. Laughing madly, he gave Ran a reassuring look, causing her to smile for the first time in ages. Even the brat gave a sigh of relief.

Megure wasn't done. "Kogoro. She's hurt really bad. We're at the hospital… We're sorry." The detective hung up.

With his smile dying, Kogoros joy melted like snow and turned to rage and sorrow. Practically frothing at the mouth, he got his keys and put on a jacket. Having no time for the worried expressions on his daughters face, he barked at them to get ready to leave.

Ran sort of paled from the unusually starkly harsh tone in his voice but he didn't care anymore.

.

.

Calming himself yet failing, Kogoro counted the solidifying flecks of white paint out of the corner of his eye.

It irked him significantly that they couldn't just get an even coat. Wasn't that the sign of a shoddy hospital. His wife deserved better damnit!

For the third time, Kogoro slammed the wall with the back of his fist. The reverberating din was weaker so it didn't attract the notice of the orderlies who had warned him against continuing to do so.

Hyperventilating, a steady series of wheezes emerged unprompted from his lungs. He felt like he had a knife sticking out of his chest and had he not known better he would have believed he was having a heart attack.

Clutching his chest, beating it a little with his palm in some sort of childish notion that it would help make it go away, Kogoro sat up straight and took a look at his surroundings.

The only two other people in the room was a mother and her sick kid who appeared to have a severe stomach flu that prevented him from covering up his incessant farting. The mother, a pretty curvaceous thing with chestnut hair annoyingly apologized every time he did it. __The joys of being Japanese.__ Had it been in any other context he would have chuckled and began to hit on her.

For obvious reasons he wasn't going to do that, maybe never again. In retrospect he always said that but this time he felt like that he physically couldn't let his eyes wander without the disgust at his own actions swallowing him whole.

There was a reproduction painting hanging above him. Supposedly it was a reproduction of a Van Gough painting depicting a ship against a rising sun. It just looked like a blob of color to him. For all he knew the sun was setting and wouldn't that be apt?

With his anger abating while waiting in the hospital lobby, Kogoro instantly regretted getting so cross with his daughter. He regretted a lot of things at this moment as he covered his face in his palms so no one would see him crying.

****Why didn't I make up when we had the chan…****

****...y was I so harsh to the bra…****

****...w could I not protect her.****

These thoughts and a million more like them buzzed inside the gumshoes head like a swarm of drunk hornets, bouncing off each other no matter how many times he attempted to regain focus. His grief was palpable to everyone else in the room as all the nurses and doctors came in with quiet whispers and reassuring shoulder pats.

If he hadn't been so upset he would have wondered where Ran and the brat was. A surge of guilt coursed through him, making him wince as he was brought back to earth. How could be so weak? The past few days he had only thought of his own pain and misery while others suffered around him. What kind of thoughts were going through poor Ran's head as she suffered through living with two children while the only actual adult was missing?

Fuck what about Conan? He couldn't be handling this well at all…

All he could do when Eri Kisaki was rushed through the hallway on a gurney was gape in utter confoundment. It had only been a moment as he was immediately pushed out of the way but he had already seen too much.

The person on the slab being rushed in the ER couldn't had been his wife. Eri didn't look that! Her face wasn't swollen or covered in dried blood or bruises nor was her jaw hanging limply to the right side. Ran had the opposite reaction, screaming in horror as she fell to her knees and cried, muttering 'Okaa-San!', like some sort of mad chant.

The count was in. Thirty-three bones were broken and another eleven were fractured. She had some first degree frostbite on her fingers and feet. Some of the filth had mixed in with her injuries so infection was possible. She had detached retinas in both her eyes and she'd temporarily need plates in order for her face to heal… Those were just some of the injuries that had been inflicted upon her beautiful body,

Gulping, he felt like he was going to vomit. The only thing he could take comfort in was the fact that Eri had clearly put up one hell of a fight before she was overwhelmed and for that he was immensely proud of her.

Recalling the merciless few hours that the three thought she was going to die wasn't easy. He sat there as silent as he was now while Ran was praying repeatedly. That only left him and the kid alone together.

Conan Edogawa was an absolute wreck. He looked even more like a ghost then what paltry attempts at research when he felt like making an effort due to Eri's nagging could find out. He desperately wanted to tell him that this wasn't his fault, that he was braver than him, that he more balls than most adults… But the idea of him flinching at the sight of him made him pause.

Right then, the director of the hospital and a couple nurses came in with a pile of paperwork and her prognosis.

"She's in surgery right now… I'm sorry but she has lost a lot of blood and we have to relieve the pressure on her brain. We need you to make some decisions immediately." The director looked stricken.

Kogoro's brow raised in alarm. "I thought Eri would have already taken care of that in case…" Maybe she'd been too busy to care about things like that. It made him silently furious at her. How could she put things off to the last minute?

The director continued. "Since she's still in surgery we do not know whether she'll come out of this…" The director hesitated, trying to get between a fine line from being frank and keeping his bedside matter. "For instance organ dona-"

"No!" The usually sweet and tender voice of his daughter said with heartbreaking clarity. Everyone in the room looked at the teenager. No one had noticed she was there nor how long she had been listening.

Ran's once angelic facial features were tortured by a look of utter umbrage, harshly mingled with tears. He could only stare awestruck. This was not the daughter he usually knew.

"Why are you two talking about organ donation? This is a hospital for heaven's sake! You're going to save her… Aren't you?" Those last two words nearly made Kogoro break down there and then. The innocence of those words echoed throughout the room, making all uncomfortable and Kogoro realized that he had no choice but to be the bad guy.

"Sweetie…" Kogoro took a shallow breath as he struggled to spit out the words, "We have to be prepared just in case-"

"HOW CAN YOU TALK ABOUT OKAA-SAN LIKE THAT?" Ran's voice cracked like a whip, proverbially drawing Kogoro's blood. "She's not going to die! She's strong, she's my mother, she can't…" Afraid that she was going to hurt someone if she kept getting angry, Kogoro embraced her daughter. She limply hit him a bit, flailing madly, but after a few seconds gave up and sunk into his frame.

He was happy that she couldn't see his tears. Never had she felt so small or like the little girl she once was. It struck him that unlike him and Eri she never lost anyone she loved deeply. And Ran sincerely loved a lot of people.

If Eri died this was going to kill her.

Every second after that felt like an eternity. Shuffling through the papers while Ran wasn't looking, he felt like he was going to be sick. One of the papers gave him a choice on what to do if Eri became brain dead.

Being sober was horrible. How could they possibly ask him to kill his wife!

The more he thought about it however the more he realized that Eri wouldn't have wanted to live like that. She'd absolutely hate it. And he would never be able to bare letting her suffer like that.

Ran may never forgive him but his choice was clear.

Luckily for him he never got the chance to sign it. His wife's surgeons came in with news. Their next reaction would be decided on the point of a pin.

The surgeon smiled. "I don't get to say this often but she's going to make a full recovery."

Masculinity be damned, Kogoro gave the man an enormous hug. Ran smiled for the first time since she came here, tears of joy and relief shining through as she graciously thanked the doctors and apologized for her behavior. Even Conan let out a sigh of relief.

"She's stable now. You can see her if you like but I'm afraid we can only let two people in at a time." Kogoro motioned Ran to go on in, taking Conan in with her as the held hands. He took some coaxing but after briefly stopping in his tracks he followed Ran in.

Drowsy, all Kogoro could do was rub his eyes and curse his cowardice. He couldn't face his wife while she looked so broken… He felt a hand as big as a ham grasp his right shoulder.

Out of nowhere Megure and his ducklings slowly walked in front of the former detective, Kogro shifted his back and looked up at the four of them. Small wonder he hadn't noticed them at first. With all of them having a defeated glance ingrained upon their faces, the four looked like beaten dogs finally broken.

As much as Kogoro would scarcely grudgingly admit before this catastrophe, the three junior detectives were indeed talented and a great asset to the police force. However, Kogoro could tell that their inexperience and relative youth was taking their toll. He could read the three of their personalities like a book, and this case had taken a clear, obvious toll.

Just behind Megure was Sato and Takagi, practically beside each other. Professional as was, even she couldn't hide the countenance of shame and depression that shined across her once lovely features. Sato wasn't one who needed that much work to be beautiful but days of insomnia and working herself ragged didn't make the dark circles and untidy hair go away.

Takagi's wet red-rimmed eyes showed his immaturity, no matter how hard he attempted to hide it. But at the back was something that shocked Kogoro Mouri to his core. It was Shiratori, and he didn't look look sad or ashamed like his colleagues. Though half of his frame were hidden due to the slanted directed he was facing, Kogoro could tell a lot just with his back turned.

On the part of the face that he could see, the firebrands face was flushed red and his white teeth were grinding against themselves till they threatened to become dust. The erratic muscle movements and clenched fists only added to the image forming in his head.

In short, despite his previous criticism of Kogoro's behavior, Shiratori was starting to mirror him more and more. He would have laughed if he thought he still could.

Megure was the only one who could stand to look him in the eye. This wasn't necessarily a good thing as Kogoro could see the how the environs that made up the landscape of his face had been tortured and aged. Fingers of grey ebbed at the edge of his chevron mustache while his skin seemed to droop and sag downwards, as if the weight of his negligence menanced his plump body until it threatened to burst apart at the seams.

"I'm sorry." A low regretful voice spilled out.

Every cop in the room heads piped up in confusion. Sato and the other two just gave him a baffled gormless expression as they tried to comprehend not only what Kogoro just but why. Even Megure as seasoned a friend he was, couldn't help but stare at the cowed man sitting lackadaisical with both of his scarred hands clutching onto the sides for dear life.

Reluctantly, Kogoro continued. It wasn't just the selfish feeling of this being an affront to his pride or ego that would sell the humility in his tone of voice but he was so tired. Reedy as it caught inside his throat, even Kogoro hadn't anticipated just how weak and defeated he truly felt.

"You all tried your best. Sometimes that's all you can do." Kogoro gave a sympathetic glance at the Takagi, Sato, and Shiratori. "You can't save everyone or win every case. Not everybody's going to get a happy ending. Me and Megure can tell you that."

Takagi seemed to take some comfort in the words but all three didn't appear to believe them. Shiratori faced him with his math agape, twiddling his bangs as his anger subsided with a large sigh. Sato was the only one who could speak. "Mouri-san."

Kogoro couldn't stare at them any longer. Instead he opened his hands and stared blankly at his palms, fingers trembling uncontrollably. "I… I've been such a mess. I've acted like a small child instead of a man. I can't even comprehend how hard its been on you all, on Ran, on Co… The brat."

A rush of bile burned his throat. When he learned that Conan had botched the ransom he had exploded. Poor Conan had kept saying how sorry he was while he was… While he… Ashamed, Kogoro didn't want to remember what he'd done. Considering how he's been treating the poor kid and blamed him for every little thing he should be in prison.

Megure grasped his soldier. Kogoro looked up with heavy lids. "You're a good friend Juzou. I wouldn't trust anyone else to…" Trailing off, Kogoro shifting his gaze to the coffee table with all the necessary paperwork now utterly superfluous.

Closing his eyes, he smirked despite himself. "I gotta say, at least Eri put up a fight! It must not have been fair or else those bastards would be the ones here. I really taught her well! My wife the bada…" Kogoro stopped his diatribe when he reopened his eyes and saw the darkened expressions.

Something was horribly wrong.

Crystalline tears spilled out of Sato as she tried her best to dab them away with her index finger. That wasn't right. Of the newbies she seemed the most sober and in control of her emotions with the obvious exception of her fiery temper. Scrunching her face in a vain attempt to keep her composure, Sato jerked her head to the side while bringing her left hand to her mouth, barely covering up a sob emitted from her mouth. She rushed out the room with Takagi dogging at her heels.

Megure took off his hat, limply holding it against his belly with both of his hands. He was crying too. The long scar he had earned protecting his wife flashed red as he bowed in seeming apology.

Horrified, Kogoro couldn't say a word. What could have happened that was making them act like this? Kogoro Mouri was anticipating the worst but what he was about to know was something else entirely.

"Kogoro I'm so sorry, we couldn't stop them-" The fat man whimpered as Shiratori punched the wall. "They- those animals… They gang-raped her."

His breath caught in his chest. And only then did Kogoro scream.

****The Ward Of Lamenting Women Arc Begins. ****


	8. Healing Scars With Salt

Eri is very sure she's dreaming, not just because all her surroundings are larger in perspective when they weren't before or how all the colors around her are oversaturated yet faded but also because she can sense that she's serene. It's an emotion that she knows she wouldn't be feeling if she was conscious and for a while, it's soothing to just let herself float away, to be in a coma rather than face reality.

In her dream, she's climbing a tree but slight mis-step results in her falling down and she lands on her foot. She cries out in pain which results in her father rushing out of the house, asking her what happened. Once he sees Eri sprawled on the floor, he quickly carries her into the house, takes out some disinfectant and cotton swabs to clean her wound.

He asks her, "What were you doing up on that tree, Eri? You know it's dangerous and you can fall down."

Eri hisses when the disinfectant touches the broken skin and replies, "Kogoro said that Tsuchinoko hides in trees and I was trying to find it."

Oh, it would be so much fun if I would be able to find it. Shonen Jump announced that they would give out the reward money if we were able to capture one.

Ah, but Kogoro wants the money to so he can buy his own house. He's so selfish, that idiot, when there's a chance of a miraculous discovery, and all he sees is his own greed.

"Is that Kogoro Endo Mouri's boy?" Her father asks in a grim tone. When Eri answers yes, her father grinds the disinfectant in, which makes Eri yelp. He warns her in a grave tone that he doesn't want that boy near her.

Confused, Eri asks why to which her father responds, "It's something that is a matter of adults. Good kids should listen to their elders. I don't want to see him around you, is that clear, Eri?"

Hearing this, tears gather in her eyes and she protests, "But Kogoro is my best friend!"

"It's not up for discussion, Eri. You are to stay away from him." Her father snaps.

Eri doesn't understand why her father is so vehemently against her friendship with Kogoro and sniffles at the thought of not having him as her best friend. Her father sets her down, seeing that she's sad, decides to add on, "You'll understand why I am telling you to stay away from him when you grow up, Eri." He sighs and kneels down to look into her eyes and says, "Promise me that you won't see him again."

Before the younger Eri can open her mouth though, the older Eri becomes conscious. She's disoriented and doesn't recognize her surroundings but starts to notice little things around her that could help her in understanding where she is. Before she can compute any information though, she hears someone sobbing. Her heart aches hearing someone cry out so painfully and she tries to find out the source, just to discover that it's her daughter.

Ran's sobbing and pleading for her to wake up and there's no way Eri wouldn't respond back to the daughter she loves with all her heart. She struggles to muster up the energy to move her hand, to let Ran know that she's awake now.

Conan notices that Eri has opened her eyes and is about to point it out to Ran but Eri reaches her first. She grabs Ran's hand and holds it. Ran's eyes light up in shock and she looks up to see Eri's open eyes and her happiness no bounds. Ran's aware that she's saying something but for the life of her, she's not at all aware what words are coming out from her mouth. All she knows is that she hasn't felt this relieved or this happy in weeks and she can't help herself from breaking down and hugging her mother.

Eri hears faint footsteps and registers Conan running out of the room. Now that it's just the two of them, Eri feels herself loosen and hugs Ran back, burying her face into her daughter's neck. She takes a deep breath and breathes in her daughter's scent and it brings tears to her eyes. With her, she feels like she's home when she thought she never would be. A part of her can't properly enjoy the reunion though. She feels ashamed of what has happened to her but she also can't help that she's happy seeing her daughter's face.

A few check-ups and two weeks later, Eri is largely healed and can speak coherently again. At the moment, she is obsessively doing paperwork, filing motions and doing what she's supposed to do as a lawyer. Sato-keiji and the rest of the detectives had come in briefly and expressed their regrets and apologies, saying that they were ashamed at their failure. Eri had accepted their apologies, saying that they did what they could have done but it didn't make things better for the detectives and they vowed to catch the culprits as fast as they could. Eri identified the three culprits immediately from the photo lineup and despite the brave front she had put on as an attempt to avoid weakness, she cried tears of relief when they offered to keep her assault off the record.

She's done her hair and makeup and is sitting up prim and proper despite sustaining various injuries and trauma. The doctors were amazed at her fast recovery from the physical injuries she had suffered. The mental and emotional component of her recovery, though, was lacking and Eri is aware that she isn't dealing well with her assault. She has no intentions to talk about what happened to her at all and has decided to keep it a secret. She feels that once the truth comes out, she'll bring shame to herself and her family and she cannot have that on her conscience.

She feels completely violated and powerless in the face of her assault and refuses to allow anyone to touch her, even Kogoro and Ran. Her mind knows that they are her family and they wouldn't hurt her but her body is quicker to react and she has slapped Kogoro for trying to come closer and has snapped at Ran when she tried to brush her hair. She sees their faces fall and her regret builds up. She can't do anything right by her family, even though she wants to be around them so much.

It's Kogoro that makes her very uncomfortable though, not because he's a man but because his accommodating attitude is an irreversible change of pace from a few days ago. The Kogoro she knew wasn't this soft or docile, he was gruff and grumble-y around her. Eri's always wished for Kogoro to be this understanding and soft-hearted but now that he's at her beck and call, she feels unworthy because he was the only man she had sex with before her assault. She is unable to even look at him in the eye while she also feels she's above it, her rape doesn't define her. Why would she be scared of his judgment? But with each and every help from him, she can feel her insecurity increasing. Despite all this, she is intensely grateful for him. He hasn't told Ran or anyone else about her gang rape and considers him a good man. She feels horrible when she thinks about the anger she held towards him previously.

Ran had been running herself ragged, spending time with her and running around the hospital talking to doctors about her mother's condition. Eri had made her promise to go back to school because she didn't want her daughter's life to be ruined due to her being in this state. She kinda regrets making Ran promise that though because now, she misses Ran. She swears to herself that she'll spend more time with her. Her near death experience has taught her how fleeting life could be and she's scared that her assaulters would go after Ran next. The mere thought of her precious Ran being potentially attacked and sexually assaulted fills Eri with violent rage, overcoming any fears she held towards her attackers. There was no way in hell that her daughter would be suffering the same fate as her.

While she's confident in Ran's karate skills, she was also confident in her own skills. She knows that it's not enough. She is afraid because she knows her daughter. Ran's naïve and kind and very emotionally attached to the people she loves. Eri knows that if Ran were to be made aware of her getting assaulted, it would break her.

In the mean time, Conan-kun was spending time with her. At first, Eri was enjoying his company but she started to get creeped out when she noticed how guilty he looks and seems to know more than he is leading on. There was no way an elementary kid would know what she had gone through and she sincerely hoped that it was true that Conan-kun wasn't aware that she had been raped. The way he brushes off some of her comments, the way he's deliberately aware of his movements, all of it screams that he knows something and it pinches her irrational nerves. She can't put a finger on it.

Suddenly, Kogoro silently comes in, offering her food and gifts and he acts like such a gentleman. He is quieter than usual and when she finally looks at Kogoro's face, he is looking away from her. When their eyes connect, Eri notices how red his eyes are and finally, Kogoro bursts in tears out of happiness. Something snaps in Eri. The man whom she begged to change for the sake of their marriage was sobbing in front of her when she had been raped. She starts to throw anything she could get her hands on and her rage builds up.

"Fight! Fight with me like you usually do. You didn't care when your words hurt me before why are you being a wimp now, huh?" She screams.

Vitriol burns her veins and she needs to say those words out loud, otherwise she knows she'll regret not asking them and she sneers, "You must be thinking that I'm so low, huh? For letting those men rape me? You must be thinking how disgusting I am. You were never so caring before, so you must be taking pity on me. Poor little Eri, now that she has nothing left, I should help her out. Well, screw you and your help! I don't need your pity. I don't want your gifts. I don't want this meek version of you. Argue with me like you did before I was raped!"

Kogoro cries harder and shakes his head, "No, I don't pity you." He sniffles and continues, "I would never think less of you, Eri. What happened wasn't your fault. I'm so sorry. God, I'm so sorry."

He steps near her and tries his best not to touch her, while aching to hold her in his arms and says, "I'll never leave you, Eri. Whatever happens, you will always be my wife, I swear to you."

Eri freezes for a moment as tears run down her eyes, a myriad of emotions running through her and she starts to sob uncontrollably. She never thought that she would hear those words from him. To hear them now when she felt so out of sorts with herself, she didn't know what to do. She could see Kogoro circling his arms around her slowly to show her what he wanted to do and Eri knew he was offering her a choice.

And Eri always knew that whatever happened, she would always choose him. She happily accepted Kogoro's embrace and breathed him in. Whatever happened, he would be with her, that's what he had promised and Eri had never been more grateful to have Kogoro Mouri in her life.

* * *

**OST**

**A Livin' Man- An Occurrence At Owl Creek**

**Shiki No Uta/ Aruarian Dance- Samurai Champloo**

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**Not much to say but a few of Chekov's guns have been fired and a few trees have been planted. Be sure to check out Detectivemran's work as well! Her work on this chapter was imperative!**


	9. Pyre

Sato hates funerals with a passion.

As an objectively optimistic, cheerful person at heart, she despises the somber mood, the down faces and the sadness; the devastation etched in them. She relates to them on a personal level and it only makes her hatred of funeral grow. She knows it's irrational and she knows that death is inevitable and people want to pay their respects and grieve for the person who has died but she feels like she's crawling out of her skin. She would refuse to attend funerals when she was just starting at the force. Unless it was mandatory for all the officers to attend and she was ordered by her superiors, she didn't show up. It chafed at her though and she made the conscious decision to outgrow her hatred of them, if not for herself, then for the victims. She wanted to pay her respects to them and provide some sort of comfort for their families.

Funerals always reminded her of her father. And she despised that. Her father was a jovial person, stuck to his principles and was a hero to her. To have the memories of him being happy being stained by his morose funeral felt like a disservice to him. But this funeral was important to case she had sworn to solve, so she bit the metaphorical bullet and attended it in disguise. She needed to protect Eri Kisaki, come hell or high water.

She is disguised as Eri's distant cousin at Midori's funeral. And as all funerals go, this one is a solemn affair as well, marked by Midori's parents crying and Ran's occasional sniffling. Sato fists her skirt, absolutely hating every moment of it. She can feel her throat clogging and her chest tightening, her breath getting slightly uneven. She hates this because she can swear she can hear her mother sobs even though she isn't here. Sato swallows her panic down, knowing in her mind that this isn't her father's funeral and she chants it like a mantra so that she doesn't lose her mind.

She closes her eyes for a second, letting her thoughts calm down. She breathes in and tempers her haywire emotions and then slowly, opens her eyes, letting them take in her surroundings. The funeral is taking place at an old Buddhist temple and the smell of incense and the sound of mantras being repeated hit her and it brings her back her father's funeral again. She shakes her head, reminding herself that she isn't a kid anymore and her father is long dead and there's no way her mother would be here. There's no need to panic. Once, she's gathered her bearing, she's fully present in the moment, even though it's making her uncomfortable, she knows she has a job to do.

She stares at Eri, who's a complete antithesis of her own mind. Eri sits straight, her head held high and even though she's still covered in stitches and the myriad of bruises, ranging from brown to black to blue to purple are clearly visible, she gives off a graceful persona and Sato wonders. She wonders how much of it is a mask and how much of it is her real emotions because she knows; she knows that Eri Kisaki isn't okay and she's just putting a lid on her feelings.

Every time she's approached Eri, asking her whether she's holding up alright or advises her on some counseling centers for rape victims, Eri curtly but politely rebuffs her. She's tried this countless times because she knows Eri's façade is close to breaking. Sato can see her visibly create a distance when she's talking to a man, how she's slightly submissive in her posture and the way her hands tremble when someone gets close to her without her notice. She knows that she can't help Eri until she wants to be helped but it breaks Sato's heart because she knows that Eri can't heal until she's ready to admit that there's something wrong. It seems like facing her own self is the hardest hurdle Eri Kisaki has to pass and Sato hopes that she's brave enough to pass that hurdle.

She's brought out of her thoughts when she notices Eri grab onto an old monk's hand who had reached out for her in concern, and the very visible reaction Eri has. She pushes the monk away, casing a scene. Alarm bells start ringing in Sato's head. For all this time, Eri has been able to somehow mask her reaction to people approaching her but this one can't be overlooked and she notices people start to talk behind their hands.

Eri hears people murmur and her heart constricts, she's afraid and embarrassed and it shows on her face. All of this attention is getting to her and her heart skyrockets. She can feel people's eyes on her and she know she needs to put on a composed face and so she apologizes, helping the monk up and lets out a shaky laugh, "Sorry, I've been slightly jumpy these days."

The monk shakes off her apologies, stating that it's fine and carries on with his work. Eri swallows her fear and looks around, only for her eyes to connect with Sato's. And she knows that there's no way Sato didn't notice what had just happened. But she needs to show that she's fine, so she calms herself and sits down as if nothing out of place had occurred. Kogoro and Ran have different ideas, though and they start asking her whether she's alright. Eri's irritated at them, her plan to shake this whole incident off thrown out of the window by her overbearing family members and she puts on a false smile and tries to assure them everything is alright, praying that they'll stop putting her in the limelight.

Ran looks unconvinced but Kogoro soothes off her worries by saying that her mother won't lie about it and she's made of tougher skin. Ran looks worried and looks into her mother's eyes, trying to gauge whether she's really fine or not but Eri just smiles at her and says she's okay, so Ran lets it go.

Ran had only breathed a sigh of resignation before she could notice a woman hurtling towards her mother. Before anyone could process what was happening, a loud smack could be heard around the temple.

Midori's mother had slapped Eri. Everyone was rooted to their seats in shock, aghast at what the quiet, sweet lady had done. She fisted the lapels of Eri's jacket and screamed at her, "It's your fault! It's your fault she's dead!" She sobbed, unable to hide her anguish, "My sweet Midori, all she wanted was to become a lawyer. She admired you! She left this place for you!" Tears streamed down as her face flushed, she sniffled, "She moved all the way to Tokyo so that she could become like you," her eyes flashed as anger took hold over her and she spit out, "I supported her because it was her dream. But now I wish I hadn't let her go."

Eri calmly circled the old lady's fist, knowing that it was just her pain lashing out and said, "Please calm down," only to see the lady raise her hand to slap her again. But before she could strike her, Ran pushed away from her seat and pulled the old lady away, "Please stop hurting my mother!"

But Midori's mother wasn't to be deterred, she struggled against Ran's hold on her and pointed her finger at Eri, "I'm glad my Midori didn't become like you. You don't have a heart. How can you stay so calm and poised when the girl you claim to be so close to is dead, huh? My Midori would be so happy, chatting about great you are and how the two of you are such good friends. Is this how a friend reacts at their friend's death? Do you even feel any ounce of pain that she's gone?" She sneered before continuing, "Any decent human being would shed tears at a person's demise but look at you! You sit there like a damned queen who's above it all."

Eri was silent as the old lady ranted on but she bowed in apology and made a quick getaway. Eri could feel herself panicking; her hands had started to tremble and her heart rate had sky rocketed. Her breathing was even and she needed to get out of the temple before she completely broke down. But even then, she didn't lose her poise. She struts away from her, not letting anyone know how much this confrontation affects her. The old lady starts to go after her but is stopped by Kogoro, who restrains her. The only sound Eri hears while she's leaving the room is Midori's mother screaming at her, calling her a heartless bitch.

Eri refuses to let it affect her. She knows that Midori's death has affected her. She can feel how devastated she is but somehow, she finds it difficult to articulate, to pin down one emotion. Everything's a mess and Midori's mother is making it all the more difficult for Eri to latch onto some resemblance of sanity. She grits her teeth as tears start to gather. Sato can see Eri downcast eyes as she glides away and takes out a handkerchief to dab her eyes before she leaves the room altogether but she can hear Eri's sobs. And right then, she decides that she was correct. Eri Kisaki is in a tremendous amount of pain and is bottling it all up. And before she explodes, Eri needs to talk to a professional who can heal her, otherwise she would go down a very destructive path for her and her family.

Midori's father quickly approaches Kogoro and Ran, who is about to run after her mother and apologizes, "I'm so sorry about my wife. She's just in a state of shock. Midori is- was- the only daughter we had, so she's just hurting a lot. I'm so sorry my wife behaved this way." He says before bowing, "Please thank your wife for footing most of the bill for Midori's funeral. I know people have different methods to grieve and I'm so sorry my wife spewed such harsh words about her."

Kogoro accepts the apology on Eri's behalf, not wanting the situation to accelerate. While he was on the force, he had seen many people react this way and assured him that Eri wouldn't hold any kind of grudges and would understand why Midori's mother had reacted the way she did.

While Kogoro was busy trying to smooth the thorny situation, Sato had slinked away after Eri. She spots her standing outside looking like a shell of her former self and decides to talk to her, but before she could even utter a word, Eri says, "I'm leaving." Sato is slightly taken aback at how cold her words sound.

"I don't think coming here was the right decision," she smiles deprecatingly, "Well, I already knew that though. It's obvious that her mother would blame me as I had taken up Midori's responsibility and failed in such an appalling manner." She looked up at the darkening sky and closed her eyes before continuing, "She's right to blame me and I don't want to hurt Midori's family anymore. It would be better if I leave."

Sato tries to dissuade her, saying that it's just anger talking but Eri smiles knowingly and Sato can't speak. She is sure that Eri's aware that what Midori's mother had said were just spoken in anger but it didn't mean that they weren't her true feelings.

Eri speaks up again, this time in an authoritative tone, "I want my police detail to stop following me. There's no need for them to look after me."

Sato is visibly shocked at Eri's decision and objects, "Kisaki-sensei, you aren't safe. The culprits still haven't been caught. It wouldn't be wise for the police to stop looking out for you."

Eri interrupts her, "I already look out for myself constantly. There's nobody else who looks over their shoulder more than me at this moment and I don't need the police's help in achieving that. I am capable of looking after myself." As Eri says the words, she can feel the lie in them. If she had been capable of looking after herself, she wouldn't be in this situation where the police had to look after her. But she shook herself off, adamantly sticking to her decision.

"The only thing the police needs to worry about is finding Midori's killers. They need to be punished heavily for what they have done to her."

Sato stares at the place where Eri had been just a few seconds ago and she could still hear her heels clack as she walked away but Sato couldn't move. In all of this, Sato noticed that Eri hadn't mentioned one glaringly obvious detail. She could feel herself getting colder and colder as realization dawned on her. Eri Kisaki hadn't mentioned a single time about her rape.

That's when Sato realized that Eri's mental and emotional state was even a bigger concern than she had originally thought. Eri was refusing to accept that she had been raped.

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**Special thanks to detectivemran again. (:**

**Don't know when the next chapter will be. I need to plan it out plus college break is ending.**

**There is no soundtrack for this chapter. Like the death of Buffy's mom, this lament requires silence.**

**Please review if you like this story and wish to get speedier updates. Even if you don't like this story I'd still like a review in order to improve!**


	10. Not All Together

**Never the one to let tough situations let her down, Eri is back to the grind in a span of few days. Being idle wasn't her thing. She had to be doing something, either physical or mental to keep herself occupied. She had always been this way but after the whole ordeal, the itch to just do something has taken over tenfold.**

And so she decides to sort her life out bit by bit. Her main concern being her job. Being an attorney is what she's best at. She's confident in her abilities, trusts herself in judging people and her motives and so she thinks that going back to her job will be a piece of cake.

Her first hurdle comes in as soon as she enters the now thoroughly checked out by the police, office. She had been working on few cases before she was kidnapped and those clients had left tones of voice messages. She starts by listening in to them. She does notice that after a certain date, the calls stop and it doesn't take a genius to know that the clients were informed about what had happened. She isn't sure that they know about her being raped but she wagers that they know about her being kidnapped.

It leaves a foul taste in her mouth. She's never shown a weak side to her clients; ever. But this is going to garner pity in their eyes and Eri grinds her teeth in frustration. Her clients had always believed in her abilities and confidence. This would surely shake their trust.

Her second hurdle comes in when she does try to come back in contact with her clients. With Midori now being gone, Eri has to take on the work of jotting down everything her client's telling her. Her first call goes off with a few hitches here and there, with her client being slightly apprehensive about her well being. Eri assures them that it's all good and she can't wait to go back to working on their case. Thankfully, the call ends on a positive note and they agree to meet her the next day.

Once the phone clicks, the silence reins and for a moment, it feels like the room is suffocating her. Where there would be chatter or some commentary about the client from Midori, there was silence in its place and Eri's eyes start to water. She quickly shakes them off and with a mantra of I'm doing fine she rings up her second client. As the day passes, her head ache begins. She's overwhelmed by the amount of information she has to jot down, the meetings she has to plan, the case files she has to go through and she realizes she's barely keeping up with the work she would have done perfectly well in the past.

Still, she persists on. She meets up with Kogoro, Ran and Conan whenever she can and the trust they show in her abilities and in her as a person boost her morale up and so she bludgeons on. Her confidence boosts up when she's able to successfully go through her meetings without any hitch. For the first time in a long time, Eri feels like she's back.

But it doesn't long as soon as she enters the court. She can feel everyone's stares on her and a shiver runs up her spine. She doesn't like this one bit. Her breathing hitches and she's appalled when she realizes that she's scared. Eri tightens her jaw and vows to herself that she's not ruining this. She knows the ins and outs of the case like the back of her hand, there is no way that she's losing this.

After a court session of measly two hours, Eri slouches on her seat, just running over how badly she's screwed her client over.

"My client… Akira Hitoshi… was not on the scene at 23:55 hour, your Honor."

"You mean, 1:55, Kisaki-sensei? The crime didn't take place as 23:55."

"Yes, sir, I mean, 1:55."

.

.

.

_"He was at his cousin's place in Osaka, your Honor."_

_"His cousin? The one is Nagasaki?"_

_"Yes, sir, I mean, Nagasaki. I apologize for the mix up."_

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.

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_"His sister can vouch for his testimony, your Honor."_

_"His sister's been dead for a year, Kisaki-sensei. Are you sure that you are aware of the details of this case? Because to me, it seems that you are very ill prepared."_

_"I'm sorry, your Honor."_

.

.

.

Eri knows what Reiko's saying is leading on the her client but her palms go sweaty the moment she thinks about objecting. She knows, she knows she should object but fear grips her throat. She knows that the fear is irrational. There is nothing to be afraid of. But she can't calm herself down and before she knows her client's spilling about his addiction to gambling.

She closes her eyes knowing that this wouldn't look well and she can also feel eyes on her. She knows, every attorney knows, every lawyer in the room knows; she should have objected and they are all wondering why Eri didn't object and for the first time she admits to herself that she's blown the whole case.

That thought just adds on more panic and before she can comprehend anything, she's hyperventilating and her heart's racing. Everything seems to close in and she can sense someone touching her shoulder. She flinches away from the hand and curls herself into a ball.

She doesn't like being touched! Shouldn't the person know that! She doesn't want to be touched! She needs air and she desperately gulps in oxygen but it's not making her feel better. Eri whines, struggling to hold on to her bearings.

It seems like an eternity before she's calmed down and she's sticky with sweat. Slowly, her mind starts to work and she turns her head to look at the judge, who's looking at her with pity and understanding.

Oh. He knows what happened to her.

"Kisaki-sensei, seeing that you are unwell and won't be able to defend your client, I would like you to recuse yourself from this case."

Eri has no choice but to do so.

She screams lightly into her closed fist, cursing herself. Because of her incompetency, her client's now sentenced to death. How could she mix up such vital information? How could she perform so horribly bad? Eri's so worked up that she runs her fingers through her hair, messing up her perfect bun. Her eyes become wet with unshed tears and frustration mounts up. What she did was downright criminal. She shouldn't have taken up the case. She was so sure that she would be in her element once she would enter the court that she overestimated herself. And now, because of her, an innocent man would be declared guilty.

Logically, she knew that a different attorney could overturn this decision but her heart was clouded. Such an easy case and she blew it up. What kind of rookie mistakes were those, for god's sake! She's a seasoned attorney, not a bumbling idiot.

She's busy cursing herself when she hears the click of heels coming towards her. She refuses to acknowledge the person, too busy wallowing in self flagellation.

"Heard that you a lost a laughably easy case, Kisaki-sensei. I honestly expected a lot more from you. Well, I was able to win my case very easily." Ah, so it's Reiko.

Eri knows that she should retort back, put her in her place. Say or do something but she's too drained to fight back. Too drained to feel the insult. She just wants to go home and bury herself in her blankets and forget that she was ever alive. It's all too much. The one thing she always had been so confident about and now it's shattering before her very own eyes with her very own hands.

Eri sniffles, not giving a damn whether Seiko sees her in this state or not and Reiko comes to realize that something's horribly wrong. Eri would have answered back some scathing remark by now but she was deadly quiet. Her eyebrows furrow as she takes in Eri's defeated form and her win now seems like a Pyrrhic one. Whatever Eri's going through, it seems a lot more than just a lost case.

And in a moment of compassion, Reiko kneels down to just hug her. As a fellow attorney, she's always respected Eri. She's a force of nature when it comes to handling the court and seeing her like this just cracks at her heart. Eri's not okay at all.

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**Thank Detectivemran again for her imperative help!**


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